Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo
by Agent Ada Kennedy
Summary: Fate leads two ninja, Rikimaru and Ayame, to discover and root out the darkest evils brewing in Japan...and the evils residing in themselves. Among other things, MeiOh's back with more vengeance than ever.
1. Prologue

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own a thing.**

**Prologue**

The house of Gohda had seen its share of betrayals, murders, and treason. The peaceful land of Gohda was soon pulled into a power struggle between Gohda Motohide and Gohda Matsunoshin. In the midst of that, a clan of ninja called the Azuma would lose their master and a clan brother, dwindling the already small clan to only two members. And that was only the beginning.

Master Shiunsai had handed down his position as master ninja to his only senior pupil, Tatsumaru. Gohda Castle was under attack by his own uncle, Gohda Motohide. They were to soon find out that he was merely a puppet in the play, and that the real threat would soon show herself. Ayame and Rikimaru, the other two pupils, were young and inexperienced at the time, having only just been inducted into the Azuma Ninja clan as full fledged ninja. Soon after acquiring the master ninja title and also the legendary ancestral sword Izayoi, Tatsumaru was involved in a traumatic incident with Lady Kagami which rendered him amnesiac. Adding to the trouble, Tatsumaru was now confused about his true identity, and was given a new name by his new master. Lady Kagami made Seiryu the Blue Dragon, formerly known as Tatsumaru, a lord of the Burning Dawn. Together, they wreaked havoc along the borders of Gohda territory, and finally crossed inside. There was the massacre of the Azuma Ninja Village which Tatsumaru helped to lead. He struck down many of the people who trusted him, who cared about him. Master Shiunsai was the last defense. Tatsumaru struck down his own master cold bloodedly; his last thought being, as he stared at his slowly dying father figure, only something along the lines of feeling as if he knew the old man.

The two young Azuma ninja struggled to do their duty nonetheless. Ayame, who was very much infatuated with Tatsumaru, was only fourteen years old at the time and she fought to separate her duty and her heart. Rikimaru, stone-faced as ever, had tried to kill Tatsumaru and carry out Master Shiunsai's last wish- to kill Tatsumaru, clear the Azuma ninja name, and retrieve Izayoi, but it ended with Rikimaru staring hesitantly down at his clan brother, sword raised. Tatsumaru escaped with Kagami, slicing Rikimaru's eye after his hesitation and giving him the scar that would remain for as long as he lived, reminding him of how he had let his emotions get in the way at the time when he had needed to set them aside the most.

The trial ended and Tatsumaru took his own life, his final words being, "The traitor must die." Ayame had snuck aboard the Fire Demon, the war ship that Kagami's ninja had secretly been building. She was to use it to take over Japan, its first assignment being to blow Gohda Castle to pieces. Ayame was to find and kill Tatsumaru on the massive ship. Rikimaru was to start at the ship's dock and then swim to the boat, and eventually boarding it and going the long stretch to get to Kagami.

Tatsumaru's memory had returned and he chose to stay and fight to the death with the woman he loved. Too much blood had been spilt already, and there would be no honor in going back to the clan. To atone for his crimes against the clan, he wearily took his life after the fight with Ayame. Rikimaru had come soon after to recover the sword from Ayame, and he left to put an end to Kagami and her blood drenched dreams.

Ayame stayed on the boat for a time, and eventually threw herself into the ocean. The only thing that stopped her from giving up completely was the promise she had made to the little daughter of Lord Gohda, princess Kiku, who was quickly becoming like a little sister to her. Ayame had promised that she would always be there to protect her, and that promise alone was enough to pull herself out of her self-destructive notions.

Rikimaru was successful in the fight against Kagami. Lord Gohda's army burned and sank the Fire Demon, showering the ship with flaming arrows. There was no sign of Ayame, but Rikimaru later found her paying tribute to Tatsumaru's grave in the aftermath.

Gohda Castle was rebuilt, having suffered from only one blow from the Fire Demon. The land of Gohda was returned back to its quiet tranquility.

After a long rest, there came stirrings of a darker evil. Villages were pillaged, and temples were taken over. Rumors spread through the rice fields that the Lord of Hell had risen, Lord Mei-Oh, and his demon minion named Onikage. Havoc clouded the land of Gohda and of Japan as a whole. It was only a short time when Lord Mei-Oh kidnapped the beloved daughter of Lord Gohda, princess Kiku, and held her hostage. Lord Gohda had no choice but to send his two ninja, Rikimaru and Ayame, to get her back. Rikimaru and Ayame succeeded in defeating Lord Mei-Oh and Onikage and saving the princess, but not without yet another loss. Lord Mei-Oh's temple began to crumble, and a large boulder had blocked the only exit from the ruins right as the three were to pass through it. Rikimaru sacrificed himself by lifting the boulder with the last ounce of strength he had left and allowed the princess and his partner to get through. The boulder fell, and Rikimaru was nowhere to be seen.

The princess was safe and sound in the castle. Lord Gohda and Ayame, now the solitary member of the Azuma Ninja, mourned the loss of the clan's leader. Ayame still did her duty as she was supposed to, and she quickly was swept into the vengeful mayhem of Rin, a young assassin and her burned village of Hagakure. A year later, Ayame returned home to more news of growing evil. Onikage was back again, resurrected by a powerful wizard by the name of Tenrai. Onikage was not the only Lord of Darkness, there were others who made up Tenrai's army. Ayame prepared to take on the challenges in order to protect her lord and all of Japan with just herself and Lord Gohda's militia. But there was one person that surprised them all. Rikimaru had returned. There wasn't much time for rest as he was quickly kept busy by Onikage. Rikimaru and Ayame successfully eradicated Tenrai's Lords of Darkness, and successfully put an end to Tenrai's reign as well.

And so, their story begins...


	2. Chapter 1: Meditation and Frustration

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**Summary:** Mei-Oh's back, and with a whole new fleet of ninjas and lords that see that killing the Azuma ninja is their ticket to gaining control of Japan. Revenge is only a bonus. Rikimaru and Ayame must do whatever it takes to quell the Lord of Hell's fury forever, and also deal with another conflict that has risen...a conflict inside themselves.

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I'd really be writing fanfiction if I owned the series. NO! I don't own Tenchu, sadly, I don't own Rikimaru and Ayame blah blah blah...but I do own the several characters that will come later in the story. In this chapter, Yukihoko is mine.**

**Part I: Fury**

**Chapter 1: Meditation and Frustration**

The reddish-yellow eyes of a demon gleamed in the dim light of the domed room carved out of stone. An obsidian throne sat at the front of the room, the fires from the lanterns causing it to shine in its strange and dark brilliance.

Onikage was lucky to find that he was alive; the fight with Rikimaru had left him completely drained. He had awoken to see his body struggling to heal itself, covered with cuts and wounds, none too serious save for one long, jagged slash that extended across his pale-skinned and tattooed torso. This wound was made by Izayoi, inevitably, and he growled just recalling the angering memory. He had quickly hid himself in some distant cave, and had focused on healing his ailments, revenge always creeping along the edges of his mind like a telltale fog with its murky tendrils. He would only have to wait a little longer, and with a few more preparations, a new army unlike any other that Japan had seen would arise. Revenge would just be a little indulgence, an additional benefit that would easily be attained now that Lord Mei-Oh, the Lord of Hell, had risen once again.

That year, he had not succeeded in seeing a weakness in the Azuma ninja clan. He had tried, and failed, to see past the disadvantage that there were only two members in the entire clan, yet they still thwarted everything. The whole thing was disgusting. Two ninja had taken down all of Tenrai's Lords of Darkness! And Tenrai himself as well! Tenrai was more of Lord Mei-Oh's pawn than anything, but still. Lord Mei-Oh was helped immensely by his efforts, even though his foolishness eventually brought his demise. Lord Mei-Oh had actually been planning to kill him after he was successful in obliterating the Azuma ninja, and of course that didn't happen. Instead, he fell at the hands of the wretched Azuma ninja.

In the aftermath of Tenrai's defeat, Onikage was successful in briefly contacting Lord Mei-Oh. He was weak, appearing only as a smoky green orb. He had told Onikage that he had tired of waiting, waiting in darkness. He would need more preparations to reappear physically. Turning into a more physical form would take too much energy. But the time had almost come.

Onikage narrowed his eyes at the people assembled in the room. There was the tall and stately Lord and Lady of a powerful province on the southwest side of Japan, both staring curiously about the vaulted room. The Lord gazed about expressionlessly, while his wife glanced around with the sharp inquisitiveness of a cat. There was the ex chief priestess, the silent and brooding young woman who stared fixedly at the obsidian throne. There was the muscular bandit brute who was the current leader of the mountain bandits, leaning against one of the many stone pillars. The brother and sister from a notorious ninja clan examining their weapons while they sat at the foot of one of the pillars, leaning their backs against the cold, dark marble.

None of the people assembled together seemed to have a sliver of anything in common with one another...except that they all appeared to be emitting some aura of...something. That, and also they had agreed readily to take on any task that Lord Mei-Oh would ask them to do. Killing the Azuma ninja would be their ticket to greatness, to become the right hand assistants of the Lord of Hell, maybe even more than that...or so they thought.

There was a flash of blinding green light, and a verdant orb suddenly appeared in the expanse of the obsidian throne. Immediately, the collection of people in the room dropped to a respectful bow. Lord Mei-Oh watched with satisfaction. He willed his spirit form to speak.

"The preparations are almost complete...soon, we will embark on a new mission to rebuild Japan," Lord Mei-Oh paused, gazing down at the bowed backs of his followers. "But what must come first before the renewal...is Japan's total annihilation. Japan will be born anew, and under a more suitable and powerful leader. If anyone is foolish enough to object at this, I urge you to speak up now so that I may make your death as quick and painless as possible." Lord Mei-Oh waited. Not a muscle quivered in the room.

"...A wise choice," Lord Mei-Oh said, pleased. Of course, there was always the possibility of one of the pathetic few who would try to formulate a resistance...changes of the heart were always to be expected. He would deal with it later.

"The first task is to rid the land of the nuisance that is the Azuma ninja. Onikage! Order the ninja to the villages north of here and have them gather supplies and workers. Tell them to kill all who resist."

"Yes, my Lord," Onikage answered.

"The rest of you...I advise you all to be on your guard. Do not underestimate the willpower of the Azuma ninja."

"Yes, my lord..." chorused the still bowed group.

"And another thing...pay close attention to the Azuma kunoichi..."

* * *

Peace settled over like a misty cloud in ancient Japan. It was almost like it was there, yet not nearly so, the boundary between the imaginary and the hope of something. Lord Gohda and his army, still recovering from Tenrai's attacks four months earlier, were jolted from their short rest only occasionally, and most cases were false alarms. It was almost too quiet; a hard earned serenity that did not fit the era.

Rikimaru was in the dojo, meditating...or at least trying to. Trying...and failing. He had been going through this try-and-fail meditation process a lot lately, ever since he had stepped out from the portal and returned to the place he had called home for so many years, Gohda Castle. There was so much to think about, and his sleep was often frequently disturbed and never regular. Almost always he spent his nights trying to clear his mind; only a few of those attempts being near successful. The rest of the time, thoughts clouded his senses to the point of weariness, leading to the opposite result that was supposed to come out of meditation...frustration. Because of this, he sometimes gave in and simply allowed his thoughts to overwhelm him, as he was doing now. It would be impossible to disregard them knowing that he would have to face them sooner or later, always coming back to haunt him.

It was a more than trying experience while he had been in the portal. A year of uncertainty, being in foreign environments, and enduring a more advanced century's weaponry and line of defense was enough to weaken any man's spirit, but he was different. He was surprised to find that he had gotten out alive with no more than a few cuts and gashes, and to come back to such mayhem as a welcoming celebration didn't help matters much.

Rikimaru had returned to see his shadow's limp body lying on the Limestone Cavern's damp floor with another body lying close by...Onikage's shadow. He had already presumed that Onikage would be alive waiting for him. And so he was. The real Onikage had shown up and assassinated Rikimaru's shadow. Onikage had tried to summon Lord Mei-Oh from the portal using the Shichishito, Mei-Oh's sword...but failed, a hapless attempt. What he had succeeded in doing was giving Rikimaru a chance to return to where he belonged, at just the right time. A fight ensued, as what usually happened when they met. Onikage escaped, slashing Rikimaru's already scarred eye as he fled.

Things got even more chaotic as Tenrai's army proved great and terrible in every sense. There was the kidnapping of princess Kiku and the framing of Ayame, all of which he had been able to set right. The princess was safe and Ayame was spared from the executioner's sword. Tatsumaru had been resurrected by Tenrai, and was later killed by him when he tried to inform Rikimaru of a special power that he held that would be able to defeat Tenrai. Among other things, Izayoi had been damaged which involved going on a difficult mission through the cemetery. The infiltration of Lord Gohda's Buddha Temple by Tenrai's ninja soon culminated in a final battle with Tenrai himself.

The fight with Tenrai was both physically and emotionally draining for Rikimaru. There were three levels of Tenrai's power that he had to face, each one more terrible and potent than the one before. In the end, Rikimaru remembered what Tatsumaru had told him, the power concealed in his scarred eye called dohjutsu. He was able to defeat Tenrai by unleashing it. Tenrai's fortress disappeared into the mist and most everything was restored to a brief peaceful order.

There were no further signs of other attacks. Rikimaru was finally able to get some of his well-deserved rest, the quiet months punctured by simple assassination missions. His thoughts shifted to the possibility that Onikage was still alive, even after the fall of Tenrai. Rikimaru frowned as he realized that Onikage always had come back stronger after he thought he had killed him. He stopped. He would not trouble himself when he wasn't even completely sure.

Rikimaru's mind wandered backwards and forwards, weaving through blood stained memories. And then, for some odd reason, his thoughts lingered on an entirely different subject: the person that he eventually started thinking about more often than perceived normal...Ayame.

Rikimaru got up and removed Izayoi from its stand. He stood in the middle of the dojo, removed his thin shirt but left his face mask on out of habit, and worked on defensive and offensive parry combinations. Step back, block...step back, strike. His partner for so many years had been acting much colder towards him than usual. Cold was an understatement; her frosty glances in his direction cut like ice, sending bitter chills down his spine. Sometimes, she didn't even look at him at all. There had been no sliver of relief on her china face when he had first faced her upon his real return. Ayame was avoiding him...and it was bothering him more than it should. Their relationship had always been strictly brother and sister, always bickering when they were younger and just barely being civil to one another. It was also a more frigid form of master and student, two business partners basically forced into their duties. The two of them made up the clan.

Rikimaru couldn't understand why she would be occurring in his thoughts so often. Unless...? He frowned and stabbed at the air violently. What in kami's name was it? Everything about his twenty-two year old partner, four years younger than him, was bewildering all of a sudden...

As if summoned by his thoughts, the door slid open abruptly with a snap and Ayame briskly walked in.

"I forgot my sharpening stone..." she said coldly, walking towards the little shelf of supplies on the wall of the dojo. She stayed as far away as she walked around him, walking quickly and hurriedly as if she would rather be somewhere else. Even so, he could catch the hypnotizing aroma of orchids about her, her favorite scent. She briefly glanced in his direction, her narrowed eyes flitting away so fast that he couldn't be sure. Again he felt self-conscious and naked without anything covering his upper body and chest.

He stared after her as she walked back across the room to the paper door. He watched her hips sway, the sides of her thighs seen through the large gaps in her black pants. Her shoes were laced around her legs and stopped at the hem of her pants. A belt was fastened around her waist, a small pouch hanging from it that held her items and a small flap where she kept her two short swords at the back of her waist. A black top stopped just short of her well refined stomach, chain mail covering the uppermost sections of her chest. Usually, her arms were slipped into armor bracers, but she only wore them while she was on a mission or while she was practicing. Her skin was pale and radiant; her perfectly shaped face adorned by her curious and intense mahogany colored eyes peeking out under light lashes, and lips that were full and such a perfect shade of pink. Any man would fall to his knees with her beauty and the way her eyes smoldered with a fire that was rare. He stopped. It was true; yet, this was Ayame he was talking about, his partner, in short, his student! Kami! Soon her graceful footfalls died away and he was left very much alone again with his thoughts.

* * *

Ayame made sure she was out of Rikimaru's ki range before leaning against the castle corridor's walls. He didn't seem to realize that she had been watching him all along. Knowing him, he was absorbed in his training and he hadn't felt her ki just outside the door. On impulse, she had pushed through the door and had made up an excuse for her disturbance of his practice. Ayame had been entranced by his fluid movements and watching as the sinewy muscles under the skin of his arms rippled easily with every swing and thrust. He had a perfect chest that tapered down to a well defined stomach, all glistening with sweat...

Ayame was suddenly disgusted with herself. This was Rikimaru. Whatever she was feeling now was, no doubt, physical attraction...she laughed derisively inside just thinking about it, but she didn't want to think about the other reason for looking at him like this. She clenched her fist. The very thought of it...! He was nothing but a stubborn, silver-headed...she stopped the thought. Stubborn. That was a word that he had always described her as, especially during their younger years when they were just being initiated into the clan. At least she didn't have gray hair, she would always retort, and then they would launch into this verbal fight that was hardly of any relevance to what they had been talking about in the first place.

Ayame suddenly felt a warm wetness trickle from her palm along with a sharp pain. She looked down. A thick line of scarlet dripped from between her fingers. Blood. She hadn't realized that she had been slowly squeezing the sharpening stone, causing it to dig deeper and deeper into the thin skin of her hand. She cursed herself for picking up an unusually jagged sharpening stone in her haste.

"Dammit..." she muttered as she stared at her cut left palm. It was rather deep, but not something that could handicap her. Gingerly, she took out the bloodied stone and walked quickly to her room, searching for a roll of cloth. She looked everywhere, but there was nothing.

"Out again..." she sighed and picked up a rag from the little table next to her futon. It would have to do for now, no sense dripping blood all over the place to cause the castle guards to be on alert. "Yukihoko will definitely make sure I won't run out next time." Ayame slipped out of her room and headed for the healer's wing.

* * *

"What did you do to yourself this time, Ayame? Ah, if you hurt yourself when you are not even on a mission, you know that's saying something!" Yukihoko chided exasperatedly as she bustled around the many shelves in the room picking through jars and containers of various herbs, creams, and healing items. She picked up a tiny ceramic container of ointment and walked back over to Ayame who was sitting on one of the many futons in the room still pressing the rag to her palm. "Oh give me that filthy thing! It could get infected if you just use any old rag you happen to find lying around like that!" Yukihoko said, taking the bloodied rag from Ayame.

Ayame smiled. She was used to this. "Yukihoko-san, what would I do without you?"

Yukihoko was an elderly woman, but one could hardly tell that she was just nearing middle age. It was evident from first glance that she had been a magnificent beauty when she was younger. She often said that Ayame resembled her during her earlier years, yet not so particularly fiery and daring. She was a tall woman, slender, and moved about with refinement that made the elder maids straighten their backs whenever she passed and slouching back down in shame again. Her black hair was always in a simple looped knot at the top of her head. Her light brown eyes were very inquisitive and held deep concentration, making for very wise looks. Yukihoko wore simple kimono and simple zori, but still she always made for a very elegant sight.

Ayame didn't know much about her past except that she had once been a geisha but soon left the pleasure business. Ayame wasn't sure why, but she knew that soon after, Yukihoko had come to Gohda Castle for a job as the healer. She had always been fascinated with healing and learned the art of herbs and medicine and had always been willing to help others in their ailments.

"I don't even want to think about what would happen to you if it weren't for me and Rikimaru! Always bringing you back from missions...if it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't have gotten that poison shuriken embedded in your leg removed in time..." Yukihoko went on as she gently applied some of the pungent ointment onto Ayame's palm.

Ayame looked away at the mention of Rikimaru. It was all she could do from bursting out with a sniping comment. "So, anything else keeping you busy around here?" she asked, desperate to get away from the mention of her aggravating partner.

"There has not been any excitement since Tenrai's fall. There are a few of the usual clumsy guard cases with a few scratches, a few maids and geisha who are with child who came to me for advice, but nothing serious or particularly rattling." Yukihoko carefully wrapped fresh cloth around her whole palm.

"That's why you need me to liven things up once in awhile," Ayame said cheerily, thankful for the change of subject.

Yukihoko shook her head. "Here is some cloth. And here, take another roll. Knowing you, you'll lose the other one even before you get to your room!"

"Thank you," Ayame said gratefully, ignoring Yukihoko's last comment and slipping the cloth into her pouch. "I better go. Lord Gohda was calling for a meeting today."

The door burst open and Kiku rushed in, a happy smile adorning her face. Her light pink kimono decorated with cherry tree blossoms dancing along the hem and sleeves trailed behind her.

"Ayame!" Kiku glided over to her almost big sister and gave her a small hug.

"Kiku-chan! We'll play later okay? Your father needs to have a meeting with me and Rikimaru and I can't be late," Ayame informed her almost little sister gently. A brief look of disappointment clouded Kiku's slowly maturing face, and then a small smile. She couldn't keep her big sister from her duty.

"Okay Ayame, promise? You said you'd show me how to take an opponent's weapon."

"I promise." Ayame gave her one last smile and started for the door.

"Come Kiku-chan...I want to show you this herb...when it burns, it changes colors..." Yukihoko said to Kiku, leading her to a small ledge on the window that had various plants. Ayame took one last look at them, and headed for Lord Gohda's study.

* * *

Rikimaru kneeled on a patterned cushion before the beautiful cherry wood desk of Lord Gohda, where he too kneeled. Counsel Sekiya was discussing some matter with him, both of them poring over a scroll. Ayame was always late. As they waited, Rikimaru let his greenish golden eyes wander over the various paraphernalia spread about the spacious room.

A large ceramic vase large enough to hold a man standing upright was positioned off to the corner on a wooden three pronged stand. It was tinted mint green and had designs of cherry blossom branches with blooms winding around the surface, a sea of pink, green, and vines of brown. The wall behind Lord Gohda's desk was lined with shelves, books and scrolls filling in every possible crevice and space. Ceremonial swords and wakizashi of every length and size were placed behind glass covering. Small daggers were also assembled in their own displays across the shelves.

The room itself was a work of art; the beautiful sliding doors illuminated a bright golden shade by the lamps just behind the partitions, making the painted scenes of nature come alive. Depicted across the fragile exterior were delicate images of autumn leaves and branches, beauty etched in brush strokes, and other portrayals of nature that were a calming sight.

Ayame breezed in and took her usual seat to the right of Rikimaru. Subtly, she slid her cushion a fraction of an inch away from him so that she was far enough that she wouldn't feel any body heat, and still close enough so that Lord Gohda wouldn't notice. She did this without so much as a flicker of a glance in his direction.

"Sorry I'm late," Ayame said, trying to look sincere and at the same time failing at it. Lord Gohda glanced at her and just shook his head. Her unpunctuality was always expected, yet Ayame was Ayame.

Rikimaru briefly noticed that her hand was bandaged when she reached up to brush a strand of her hair away from her face. He frowned. Her hand was fine when he had last seen her. He was contemplating a possible reason for her injury when Lord Gohda called for their attention.

"The mountain village of Nanahara has been invaded," Lord Gohda briefed wearily.

"Let me guess," Ayame interjected, exasperated, "the mountain bandits are the ones attacking, right?"

"Yes, sadly. It seems that they have added a new sport, along with the thieving of valuable items and temple offerings from the villagers and temples: hunting the village's women."

Ayame scowled in disgust. How disgusting, she thought.

"Are they taking them somewhere as hostages?" Rikimaru asked.

"No, they terrorize them as the sun goes down, during the time that they come out from the forests at the base of the mountain. The villagers are too afraid to run, as they must pass through the bandits' forest to escape the village borders."

"So when do we leave?" Rikimaru asked.

"Tonight. I'm afraid that more women will suffer if we wait." Lord Gohda paused, and then resumed, looking from Ayame to Rikimaru. "I expect a full report on the situation as soon as you return."

"Yes, Lord Gohda. We will prepare for the mission and leave as soon as possible." Rikimaru replied, and they both gave their final bows before walking towards the door. Ayame breezed past Rikimaru and drifted down the corridor. He followed her, easily catching up to her quick strides.

"Your hand...what happened?" Rikimaru asked, concerned.

Ayame stopped, looked at him and held his gaze for longer than two seconds for the first time. "What is it to you?" she retorted virulently. If Rikimaru hadn't been used to her attitude, he was certain he would have recoiled just from her malicious tone. Instead, he froze and stared down hard at her.

"Forgive me for being concerned," he said stoically, utterly expressionless. His green eyes drilled straight for the core into her brown ones and for once, she was the one who had to look away from the intensity of his stare. He walked past her wordlessly, and as he did, she narrowed her eyes in his direction. Damn him!

"You're forgiven!" she called after him sarcastically, smirking to herself. She always had to have the last word...always. Rikimaru's footsteps paused for the briefest of seconds but still he kept on walking. Satisfied, Ayame followed, keeping her distance from him and not saying another word.

* * *

Rikimaru entered his room and packed his materials, hiding small items like shuriken and throwing daggers into the concealed folds of his clothes. He made sure that Izayoi was sheathed correctly and that it was secured onto his back after he checked that the blade was as sharp as ever.

How frustrating Ayame could be sometimes...who knew that she would snap at him just because he was concerned about her hand? Actually, he was already expecting a sniping comment but he didn't expect her to strike like a cobra. It was as if he had said something very offensive to her! Ah, but he was forgetting that his very existence was offensive to her...

* * *

"Another mission with smelly old bandits," Ayame muttered to herself as she packed away maybe one too many throwing grenades than were necessary into the pouch at her waist. Ah, memories. Memories of her first official mission as an Azuma ninja, her naïve fourteen year old self...memories of the Azuma village burning to the ground...memories floating with images of the grotesque form of Tatsumaru as he was slumped over his self-inflicted wound...

Sadly, Ayame still thought of Tatsumaru. She always dreamt up a snippet of the picturesque life they would have had together if he hadn't...hadn't...

Ayame sighed, inserted one last shuriken into the groove of her armored bracer, checked that her grappling hook was properly in place, and then slipped out of her tiny room. It was no use dreaming of such things that she would never had been able to have in the first place. The ninja were blessed with the opportunity to gain knowledge otherwise unheard of, and at the same time they were cursed to hide behind an emotionless and dreamless mask...a mask that few would ever have the opportunity to peel away.

* * *

**Author's note:  
**Those of you who can guess where I got the title are some smart cookies! I'll be impressed if anybody knows. Anyway, the title will be clear later. Yeah, I said that I would post the story when I'm done with it...unfortunately, I'm quite the impatient one. So here's your first chapter! I'd really appreciate it if someone would give me some feedback...

Oh yes, and the pairing in this story is Rikimaru x Ayame, of course. And this story takes place after T:WOH.


	3. Chapter 2: Who's The Better Killer?

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**Part I: Fury**

**Chapter 2: Who's the Better Killer?**

The very last hints of the sun retreated behind the mountains as Rikimaru and Ayame reached the quiet village. The atmosphere was serene around the village, yet when looked upon, it was all but peaceful. The gate marking the entrance of the small town was chipped, bare, and decrepit looking, the protective carvings of deities and gods having slowly been wiped away by weather and time. Standing under the weathered gate was a very disgruntled looking bandit, his eyes slowly drooping as he stared out into the empty woods devoid of anything but birds and crickets...or so he thought.

Ayame crouched down low behind a fallen and rotting log, while Rikimaru peered behind the thick trunk of a large pine tree. They watched silently as the bandit sat down to his evening meal, taking a ball of rice from a bag at his side. He seemed completely oblivious to their presence as he ate the rice hungrily, staring at a bird that was singing loudly on a branch nearby.

Rikimaru turned to Ayame, about to make a signal that he was going to take the kill. He was stunned to see that the branches and leaves behind the log were empty; swaying slightly after a person had just left its cover. A flare of anger seared through his veins, and he heard the strangled cry of the guard cut short as Ayame dealt the decapitating blow to the hapless bandit. Sighing, he stepped out from behind the tree and walked over to where Ayame was cleaning her swords using the bandit's clothes.

"You should have waited for my signal," Rikimaru said, trying to suppress the irritation from creeping into his words. His attempt was hardly successful. Usually, she cooperated, especially on serious missions. This mission didn't seem to rank quite as high on her 'serious' list.

"You shouldn't have been too slow," was Ayame's simple reply, her cat-like eyes boring right into his own, a poisoned needle drilling through greenish-amber haze.

"If you had gotten us spotted, that guard would have been the one to alert the whole village to our presence, and it would have complicated the mission fifteen times more!"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I didn't get us spotted. If you need to make sure, go ask his head lying over there in the grass!" Ayame spat out the words as if they were a curse and pulled out her grappling hook. She viciously flung the metal claw up to the gate's fence and scaled the wall with the grace and ease of a spider. She had the sting of a spider's bite as well, Rikimaru added mentally as he took out his own grappling hook and followed her.

They crouched on the heavy tiles of a house nearby, scanning the otherwise empty streets for their next victim. The village itself was quiet and remote, all of the people resting quietly in their homes waiting in fear to wake up the next morning and hear of another unfortunate woman who had fallen prey to the bandits' appetite. A bandit leaned lazily against one of the houses across from where Rikimaru and Ayame were. He seemed generally more alert than the bandit at the gate, but he seemed rooted to the spot where he was comfortable. His clothes were a dingy brown, his pants loose, baggy, and ragged. A less than elegant sword, built more for getting the job completed rather than appearing as a work of art to be proud of, hung from a belt at his side. The bandits pilfered what they could from the villages they raided, but they seemed to want to horde it all instead of actually using them.

Rikimaru was the first to move this time, leaping from the roof and landing on the dirt ground with hardly any noise or rustle at all. He hit the ground running, legs moving easily after many years of solid training and persistent practice. Izayoi was already unsheathed and ready in his hand, Rikimaru drawing the immaculately sharp blade cleanly across and through the man's neck. The man was stunned and was not even able to utter a cry of surprise save for a helpless gurgle, as he slumped to the ground, bloodshot eyes rolling into the back of his head showing an eerie white. He writhed, blood dripping profusely from his wound and onto his already disgusting clothes. And then he lay still.

Rikimaru bent down to wipe off the blood that was on his blade. He looked up to see that Ayame was already on top of the roof of the next house, carefully scanning the area at a bird's eye view, at the same time reaching out with her ki. Rikimaru grappled up onto the roof lightly and joined her, looking at where her gaze was fixed. A bandit lay on his side sleeping just behind the village's stone well, chest rising and falling rapidly. Occasionally, he muttered something inaudible, completely lost in his dreamland.

In a flash and in one fell swoop, Ayame leapt down from the roof and cut the unknowing guard open from his chest down to his stomach. Her two blades ran cleanly through flesh and bone, peeling it apart as if it were a slice of thin meat. It was a single grotesque yet beautiful motion, Ayame's limber acrobatic style almost like a deathly dance that was entrancing and captivating to watch. She backflipped away from the ruined corpse and twirled her swords ending with a sophisticated flourish. She smirked challengingly up at Rikimaru as she wiped away the flecks of blood that had spattered her face like a grisly cosmetic. Rikimaru narrowed his eyes down at her and sighed. The way she leered at him was unnerving...as if he were the enemy! It was no surprise. Ayame never treated him the way she was expected to; to her, showing respect was more about lacing every conversation with cutting comments and sharp remarks.

This went on for some time, at least more than a dozen enemies dropping like insects, Rikimaru and Ayame alternating in dealing out ghastly kills. Ayame would lightly and gracefully slip her blades across the thin flesh of a bandit with all the grace and polished manner of a leopard seeking its prey. Rikimaru came with the strike of a tiger and with the deadly force and strength of one too. The difference was striking to watch, the way they incapacitated their enemies. Agility and strength. Of course, the two were as different as day and night.

Ayame stepped back from the debilitated body of a bandit and turned around to see Rikimaru staring angrily at her.

"I am not in the mood to play your games, Ayame."

"What 'games'? I'm only hinting at one," she remarked slyly. She could imagine seeing him grit his teeth behind his mask, jaw muscles clenching along with his fist.  
Rikimaru already knew which game she was hinting at. It was a game that they had been playing unconsciously when they were younger. He tired of it, but Ayame seemed to thrive on the experience alone, whether she lost or whether she was victorious. It seemed that she always had to prove herself, a tendency she had had when she was a budding assassin. She always wanted to prove herself, even though she was just as skilled, maybe even more skilled, than the most feared female assassins in all of Japan.

"'Who's the better killer?'"

"That's the one. But you could also opt for 'throwing grenade frenzy'," Ayame said to him tauntingly, knowing that he hated when she made everything into a game. She knew she was acting rather childish, but what did he care? Exactly why she wanted to annoy him so much, she didn't quite know. She figured that she still held him responsible for Tatsumaru's death, a fact that she knew was very much untrue...but there was no one else to blame other than herself. Besides, she had hated Rikimaru from the moment she was appointed his partner. This was what she told herself when the other part of her mind wondered about the reason she was cruel to him.

"I think you should rename that one as 'suicide'," Rikimaru told her stoically. She had to be crazy.

"If you didn't want to play you could have just told me." Ayame shrugged and turned to grapple up to a nearby house. The enemies in this section of the village were cleared away, now all that was left was to find the leader of the bandits. Rikimaru followed her, absolutely at his boiling point. But he wouldn't let that get to him, not right now, not when there was a mission to be completed.

Rikimaru and Ayame crept quietly through the cramped pathways that wove through the houses like intricate patterns of a kimono. They ducked under windows, sidestepped across doorways, and leapt lightly over backyard fences and barricades. Ayame followed behind Rikimaru as he took the lead, at least for awhile. Rikimaru felt her ki veer off sharply, weaving in a different path. He turned around and sure enough, she was nowhere to be seen.

"What the hell...?" Rikimaru muttered, fear suddenly rushing through him. He backtracked and followed the path that her ki left behind. He continued following her ki; it was always close, and it always moved even farther as he came closer. What the hell happened, he wondered? Fear and worry was starting to overwhelm him now, a hot feeling creeping across his neck and chest.

And then he saw her. She was leaping delicately across the rooftops of some large storage sheds, heading for a section of the village that Rikimaru swore they already cleared. A relieved sigh escaped from Rikimaru's lungs. He hadn't realized that he had stopped breathing and mentally he was cursing Ayame. Just taking off like that...! Insane, completely insane. Then there was another side of him that was utterly, completely, and absolutely glad that she was fine.

Rikimaru grappled up to the nearest roof and followed her quickly. She turned and saw him, and she stopped where she was, crouching, a clear look of irritation blazing across her face.

"Where are you going?" Rikimaru whispered vehemently, "I looked behind me and you weren't there! I thought you were captured!"

Ayame laughed derisively. "Yeah, like you care."

"Seeing that I'm the leader of a clan of which consists of only two members, it seems that I have to," Rikimaru retorted, fuming. As soon as those last few words slipped out of his mouth, he regretted it.

Ayame's face went livid with sheer anger. His words hit her like a slap in the face. "Well if you have to know, I saw a shortcut earlier!" she hissed, stressing 'have to' with as much force and venom as she could muster without alerting the whole village.

"What if it's a trap?"

"And I guess you have to care too if I step right into a shooting arrow pit, right?" Ayame continued, each of her words carrying the sting of a dagger that stabbed him continuously, just on the skin. Why did she care if he said that he had to care about her? If she hated him so much, why did she feel so hurt to hear that he hated her too, she wondered?

"Ayame-" his weak attempt at trying to explain was sliced short by another stream of verbal daggers.

"If you think it's a trap then fine! But don't come if you have to. I don't need anyone patronizing me!" the final stab was delivered in a forceful verbal thrust. Ayame moved to lower herself down onto the ground where there was a small passageway illuminated slightly by the feeble light the moon gave off. Suddenly, she felt Rikimaru's hand encircle the bare skin where her arm met her shoulder, stopping her. The feeling that came next was one that neither of them understood for a time.

Ayame's skin seemed flagrant to the touch, as if her very skin were on fire, flesh flaring almost in defense. In contrast, Rikimaru's hand felt like a cold shield, colder than silver. The feeling that coursed through the both of them upon contact was...strange, as if it were meant to be. Silver being melted, changed, and influenced by fire...fire being fed, the hunger of want satiated and slaked by malleable steel. How long they stayed like that, it was impossible to tell, though to the both of them, it felt like three eternities. The feelings coursing through them weren't unpleasant, they were more unbelievably, incredibly powerful and puzzling at the same time to have generated from such a simple touch.

Suddenly, Ayame wrenched away from his grasp violently, defensively, reeling, as if from a blow. She looked down at the ground as she did so, but then looked up at him as soon as she was free from his grip. Something danced in the fiery depths of her eyes but it was impossible to read.

"Don't touch me," Ayame said, suddenly appearing cold and emotionless. Inside, she felt quite the opposite. In truth, she did not want him to let go. As her eyes roved his face, she suddenly found that she was losing herself in the murky depths of his eyes. She wondered what would have happened if she just pulled down that mask of his that he always wore...she hadn't seen him off with it since they were in their teen years. She imagined tracing the smooth skin of the scar over his eye, delivered by Tatsumaru when Rikimaru had hesitated to kill him. She wondered...

STOP, she mentally screamed. Her mind followed, but then followed questions that she herself had no answer to. Why was this happening to her? What did all of this mean?

Rikimaru just stared at her in return, not knowing what to say. Why did he touch her? He was always very careful to keep a barrier protecting himself from Ayame, not wanting to get too close both physically and emotionally. He remembered the last time that he let his emotions get in the way...it had cost him greatly. Master Shiunsai had died because Rikimaru failed to kill Tatsumaru when he had the perfect chance, his emotions causing him to hesitate. He had never mastered mental warfare. It was a weakness, a weakness that for the most part was easy to hide...except when it came to Ayame.

Ayame gave him one last callous glance before letting herself drop silently to the ground, running for the illuminated passage. Rikimaru reluctantly followed her. Was there ever a time when she was even remotely nice to him? No, he couldn't recall of a single time that even came close. There were few times when he had so much as provoked her, the conversation they had had just moments before being one of the rare ones. Sure, she worked her charm when a mission called for it, and every man fell for it. She was completely obedient and pleasant to Lord Gohda and Counsel Sekiya, and especially lovingly to Princess Kiku. No man could resist when she smiled. But Rikimaru...no, he was the one that received the sharp edge of the sword each and every time.

* * *

There were few enemies in this section, as there were few houses. There was only one large one, which probably was where the village elder lived, and a few smaller huts. Rikimaru and Ayame used blow gun darts and shurikens to eradicate the enemies left, timing the kills accordingly so that one bandit wouldn't see his comrade go down and go on alert. They were quiet, neither speaking to each other unless it was to notify the other to a bandit's position. So far, they had succeeded in getting through the mission without a single bandit spotting them.

Rikimaru and Ayame cautiously crept near the door of the village elder's house.

"Where do you think the disgusting bandit leader is?" Ayame asked him, speaking for the first time. Her tone was all about business.

"In the village elder's house."

"I disagree-"

"Shh!" Rikimaru hissed, indicating for her to listen closely. There were rustling sounds, coupled with muffled whimpers and protests, all of which were feminine. Then there were louder and deeper sounds, of a man's malicious laugh. Rikimaru and Ayame froze as they realized the sounds were coming from the thin wooden door of the village elder's house.

Rikimaru darted towards the door. With one strong kick, the wooden door flew open, banging against the wall. The scene that greeted them was a disturbing one: in one corner of the spacious house lay the village elder...his body twisted into a horrific shape, blood outlining his form as if he lay on a painter's palette. Blood spread out all around him on the dirty wooden floor like a fan. And at the front of the room, a young woman was gagged, tied, and secured to a bed, a large man bending over her as he dragged a knife across the surface of her pale skin. Rikimaru threw two shuriken; one of them knocked the knife out of the man's hand, and the other sliced away the ropes holding the young woman in place. The man glanced up, a look of surprise, then agitation, and then fury marring his hideous face even more.

"And who would you be?" the man yelled angrily, moving from beside the bed and towards Rikimaru. "Who dares to interrupt Yasuhide, the leader of the mountain bandits?" Rikimaru stepped in front of Ayame, advancing on the bandit. He drew Izayoi slowly, but Ayame's voice stopped him.

"Let me handle this one Rikimaru. He should be friendly with me. I killed one of their leaders, Boron, remember?" she smiled wickedly. Boron had been the leader of the bandits whom she had killed on her first mission as an Azuma ninja. Large and oafish, he was clumsy and dim. He was three times Ayame's size, a giant that smacked just about everything that moved with a huge war hammer, yet she had scraped by without so much as a bruise. She had meant to whisper this to Rikimaru, but it came out instead as an accidentally-on-purposely loud comment that was impossible for Yasuhide not to hear. Rikimaru shook his head at her, about to tell her that her reason was one that would make the man be the definite opposite of friendly, but instead he kept quiet. Ayame certainly never failed to surprise him. He moved to attend to the injured young woman who was not looking very good in terms of her condition. "Names are irrelevant."

"You were the one who killed Boron?" Yasuhide snarled at her, sagging lips peeling back to show dirty, discolored, and crooked teeth.

"Yeah, that big oaf? He wasn't much of a challenge if you ask me," Ayame taunted, all the while giving him a taste of her own smirk. She narrowed her eyes into tiny splinters of brown, and unsheathed her two swords. The sound of her blades slipping out of its protective wood case spurred her on, and suddenly she was itching for a good fight.

"I have been waiting to cut open the man who felled our greatest leader...to beat him into a bloody pulp...to see his entrails spill out and to see his severed head resting atop a table as a trophy..." Yasuhide said, almost sickeningly as if he were talking about a wonderful meal he had. She watched as he unsheathed a large and rusty sword from a belt at his side.

"Yeah well, here she is!" Ayame proclaimed proudly, and assumed her fighting stance, raising herself lightly on the balls of her feet. Immediately, Yasuhide lunged for her, and Ayame automatically slid back. Yasuhide chuckled at her seriousness.

"Such a pretty thing you are...I think I just may change the rules up a bit for you if I win this fight. I may have another...better use for you," Yasuhide said, his eyes lingering over Ayame's exposed midriff, and slowly moving upwards. Ayame moved her arms so that they were obstructing his view, instead giving him an eye full of she flawlessly sharp edges of her blades.

"Did you say that Boron was your greatest leader?" Ayame asked him, thigh and calf muscles still taut, waiting for him to make the first move.

"Yes. He was the most skilled leader we've ever had."

Ayame paused, contemplating this. "If you say so," she shrugged nonchalantly. Yasuhide was suddenly gripped with a sheer fury that this mouthy woman was speaking about killing their leader as if she had killed a dog! He growled and lunged for her once again, this time with the intent that his sword would cut through the woman's impudent flesh.

Ayame slid back with the smoothness and liquidity of water, and the quickness of fire. Yasuhide pursued her aggressively, backing her up against the wall. He was certainly quicker than Boron, and he wasn't so clumsy with his weapon. One of his sword strikes just narrowly missed her leg, and she found herself trapped in the dusty corner. Acting fast, Ayame pulled a smoke bomb from her pack and threw it down, dropping to the ground and rolling away as Yasuhide choked on the fumes. She managed to land a blow on his back before Yasuhide swung his sword blindly behind him, still choking and suffocating on the fumes. Ayame carefully did a half backflip away from the oncoming sword, as the house was small and cramped and constricted her full acrobatic ability.

Ayame waited for Yasuhide to approach. He turned around to lung again, sword aiming for her stomach. Ayame blocked with both of her swords, and in one burst of strength, pushed his blade upwards and away from her. She shuffled forward and with one well placed kick, caused Yasuhide to double over, gasping for breath. Ayame was on her guard again, preparing to go in for the final hit when she felt Yasuhide kick her legs out from under her just as she was stepping forward. Ayame fell flat onto her back, dazed after roughly getting the wind knocked out of her. She cursed inside her head as she shut her eyes painfully before reopening them. When she opened her eyes, she saw Yasuhide's massive arms raising his giant sword above his head. He was leering down at her, and she watched as the blade went down...

Ayame shut her eyes tight and rolled towards the left, feeling the rush of air as the sword went whizzing past her head where her form had just been seconds before. Yasuhide struggled to jerk his sword free from the wooden floor. Mustering up as much force as she could from just lying flat on her back, she threw one of her swords towards Yasuhide's massive bulk, hoping that she would not miss.

She did not.

Ayame's aim was true, her short sword sticking out grossly from the side of Yasuhide's neck. It was buried deep, almost reaching to the handle, and it had struck him in just the right artery. She could see the veins bulging underneath thin skin, straining to get the blood through and around the obstruction that was cold, sharp steel. Ayame watched as Yasuhide's mouth open and close, gasping for air, hands clawing at his wound and trying to pull the sword out. It was jarred in too deep, and she imagined it must have been very painful for he simply gave up. Yasuhide seemed to hang suspended in the air, arms dangling by his sides. Then, he toppled heavily backwards with a dull thud, eyes staring unblinkingly up at the ceiling.

Rikimaru rushed to her side to help her, but she merely ignored his helping hand and brushed herself off easily. Rikimaru had watched the whole battle with a look of awe on his face. Ayame's preferred style of fighting was always a thing to see. He watched as she walked over to Yasuhide's corpse and pulled her sword from his neck with a horrible wet, squelching noise.

"A shame. I thought he was going to be more of a challenge too. I was kind of up for it," Ayame said casually as she wiped off the blade on the carcass's clothes. "How's the woman?"

"She's dead. The wounds that Yasuhide made with a knife are deep. From the number of cuts on her body, he's been working on her for awhile," Rikimaru informed her, disgust evident in his tone.

"Sick bastard," Ayame muttered, walking over to the young woman's body. Cuts ran down from her arms, neck, and torso, all of them fresh and painfully deep. Some new sport, Ayame mentally snorted. "Well, I guess our job's done here. The rest of the pack won't dare to come back." Rikimaru and Ayame started for the door.

Suddenly, Ayame heard something. She froze in her spot and listened for it again. Rikimaru looked at her puzzlingly, but she only raised an impatient hand to stop him from speaking. And then there it was again. A stifled sob, coming from behind the small dressing partition near the left corner of the room. Rikimaru heard it too, and he tensed, hand automatically tightening around the grip of Izayoi.

Rikimaru walked towards the dressing partition and peered behind it ever so slowly. Ayame could see the muscles through his shirt tensing, and then relax as he realized what was behind the thin wooden wall. She walked to where he was and peered in too. Huddled in the corner was a little girl. Her dark hair clung to her tear stained cheeks. She was crying and shaking, tears pouring from large brown eyes while staring up at two complete strangers.

"Are you okay?" Ayame asked, approaching the frightened girl. She couldn't have been more than seven years old. The girl gave a loud sob, wet trails shining on her cheeks. She looked at her mother's broken and bleeding body on the ground.

Rikimaru watched as Ayame pulled an onigiri wrapped in leaves from her pouch and crouched down to be at the little girl's level. "Here...this should make you feel better," Ayame coaxed her gently to take it. "Don't worry...I'm not going to hurt you..."

The little girl took it shyly from Ayame's hand, still staring at her wide-eyed. Rikimaru watched from the side, observing how Ayame's face changed as she saw that the little girl's tears were slowly stopping. Ayame's kind smile brightened her face radiantly, and she looked...

Keep your emotions in check, a little voice in Rikimaru's head instructed him.

"What's your name?" Ayame asked curiously.

"Sakamae," she whispered to Ayame softly. Sakamae stared up at this mystifying woman, and the man standing beside her. She felt...calm, almost, instead of scared as she probably should be. Two strangers who for all she knew could have hurt her. But she felt right away that she could trust them. It was a weird feeling...

"What a pretty name. Sakamae, do you have a friend, anyone that you can stay with until morning? You don't have to worry anymore...the bad bandits are gone," Ayame said to her softly.

"Forever?"

"Forever."

They followed Sakamae out of the house and watched as she walked to one of the smaller huts in the section and knocked timidly. She turned around and raised a hand to wave goodbye to her mysterious rescuers, but the place where they had been standing just moments before was empty.

* * *

"The sick bastards are done away with Lord Gohda," Ayame reported proudly, a huge smirk on her face. "We won't be hearing from them anytime soon."

"Excellent. Thank you to you both. For now, you two may rest," Lord Gohda said to them, giving a final smile. Rikimaru and Ayame bowed, and took their leave.

"That was a good thing you did back there with the little girl Ayame," Rikimaru said to her as they walked down the corridor towards their rooms.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't have just left her there now could I?" she told him, stretching and stifling a yawn. For the first time that night, she wasn't quite so frosty towards him.

"No, I guess you couldn't have," Rikimaru said, smiling underneath the light material of his mask, the arguments that they had had during the mission long forgotten. He watched as Ayame drifted off to her room before he too turned and closed the door of his own.

* * *

**Author's note:**  
Yeah, this was a long one...the next chapter is going to be very short though compared to this. Insanely short. But chapter four should make up for it :D Tell me what you think about this chapter...took me forever to get it down right. After about three different rewrites, it is finally as you see it! Yay! Please review and thank you to Kiriyama06 and Piperulez for my first two reviews. I appreciate it lots and lots!

Title was inspired by the movie "The Chronicles of Riddick"...I don't own that either, I just thought I'd throw that out there. Felt fitting. Next chapter should be up in a little bit...I'll try not to take forever again...


	4. Chapter 3: Peace, Or Not

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**Part I: Fury**

**Chapter 3: Peace...Or Not**

A brief respite of two weeks followed after the mission to clear the village of Nanahara from the mountain bandits. A quiet calm lulled the castle's guards, maids, and Lord Gohda himself, along with the two Azuma ninja.

Rikimaru listened to the tinkling laughter that was princess Kiku's as she played with Semimaru in one of the many indoor gardens of Gohda castle. He sat on the wooden walkway, sharpening stone in hand, with a pile of unsharpened and newly sharpened shurikens on either side of him. He looked up occasionally to make sure the princess was all right, being overprotective as he was. She was so mature now, much wiser and brave than she had been when he had just been initiated into the clan. But she was still so young and so naïve.

He felt Ayame's ki wafting towards him, and he saw her gently patting the tan and white head of Semimaru. She rested against the base of one of the cherry trees, Kiku following to sit beside her, Semimaru at her heels. Their muted conversation was heard as Kiku told Ayame all about some boy she was interested in, her round face blushing pink.

Rikimaru watched as the sunlight from the open windows poured in disc shaped medallions, highlighting the brown in Ayame's dark hair. She was wearing a simple kunoichi's kimono, one of a dark blue shade with the sleeves cut off, showing much of the bare skin of her arms. He watched as Ayame laughed at something, the sound so different and unfamiliar in his ears. He was so used to getting everything ice cold from her, and yet he had very rarely seen and heard her laugh. It caused him to stop and wonder each time she did. It was a very feminine sound, and it even had a slight ring to it. No, it wasn't like the youthful tones of Kiku, or the fake and giggly laughs of the geisha meandering about the castle, but rather the sound was of gentleness and sincerity.

He sighed. This could not keep going on forever. What would Master Shiunsai think if he could somehow see his thoughts now? He definitely would not have agreed. The look of disappointment on his face when he heard of the news about Tatsumaru and his betrayal flashed into his mind. The thought of Tatsumaru and the late master ninja of the Azuma clan also brought back the devastating images of the Azuma village alight with fire...the bodies of the elders carelessly thrown into heaps outside the destroyed houses. The training fields had been torn asunder, the rice paddies reduced to a puddle of sickening red. Everyone had been slaughtered...and in the end, he and Ayame were the only ones left.

He thought back to the aftermath of the final fight with Lady Kagami, and he remembered feeling something pounding in his chest as he watched the Fire Demon sinking...with Ayame nowhere in sight. She had been on the ship, and he was certain that she hadn't made it out alive as he watched the hungry fires lick at the sails of the massive warship. He remembered clearly just how grateful he was to see her kneeling at the simple pile of stones that marked Tatsumaru's grave in the aftermath, on the cliff overlooking the ocean that he had fallen from.

It wasn't that unusual, as he regarded her as a respectable ninja in a sense. She was vital to the clan. She was agile and used the more acrobatic style of ninjutsu that was nonetheless very effective. But what bothered him was how that sensation of gratefulness overwhelmed all else...

It was something to be very worried about. They were both ninja, and it was a given that they were expected to quell any conflicting emotion. They were to always stay true to their role and their lord. They were doomed to be forever trapped in the feelings that they would never be able to show, feelings that they weren't allowed to have in the first place.

"Rikimaru, come here!" Kiku's excited voice called, halting his thoughts. She was standing, holding a stick in her hand. Semimaru sat at her feet, looking up. Ayame still sat against the cherry tree, watching Kiku. Rikimaru stood up and walked towards them. He could feel Ayame tense as he got closer. She didn't look at him, her eyes focused on Semimaru and Kiku, concentrating on staying where she was and resisting the urge to suddenly stand up and head back towards her room.

"Look at what Semimaru can do!" Kiku said, reaching out and playfully jabbing Semimaru in the side. Immediately, Semimaru keeled over on his side and rolled over on his back, tongue lolling out, eyes closed. He stayed there for a few seconds, and then rolled over and stood back up again, staring up at his audience as if waiting for applause. Kiku laughed. Rikimaru felt the corners of his lips move upwards beneath his mask. Even Ayame couldn't hold back a tiny smile; her lips fought to keep in a thin line, but her sparkling eyes gave it away.

"Good boy Semimaru!" Kiku said happily, patting him on the head. "Isn't he such an obedient dog?"

"He sure is," Rikimaru said, ruffling Semimaru's fur himself. Rikimaru rested against one of the large decorative rocks in the garden, across from where Ayame sat. She hardly turned in his direction, merely studying the pattern the rocks and the sand made on the ground. It was obviously more interesting and pleasing to look at in comparison to him.

* * *

"What does the kunoichi have anything to do with our plan?"

"It will be clear in a matter of time. If my prediction is correct, darkness and fire will unite and we will have a much stronger force to deal with."

"Darkness and fire?"

"Do not ask too many questions, Onikage."

"Forgive me, my lord."

"Send for one of the Jonin ninja to the southeast village of Namida. Have my ninja destroy the place if the people do not conform at my first request. There is no time for petty delays."

"Yes, my Lord," Onikage bowed.

* * *

**Author's note:**  
Hey everyone, thanks for the reviews so far. Keep 'em coming! I know this was a short chapter, but if I had combined it with chapter four, it would have been insanely long.

To clear up a bit of confusion, in this story, I've made it so that Ayame has always detested Rikimaru through every game...or so it seems. I always took that view even in Tenchu 3. I know that she seemed concerned about Riki in one of his endings, but I decided that she was just putting on a show. That's my take on it at least. Ayame's got multiple personalities, haha. Okay, joke. Thanks for telling me about this confusing bit, **Kiriyama06**!

Review please, and I'll try to get chapter 4 out ASAP! No promises though, because it'll be long... Any kind of feedback is welcome, flames...whatever, just **GIVE ME SOMETHING**!


	5. Chapter 4: Headstrong

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**Part I: Fury**

**Chapter 4: Headstrong**

"Ayame and Rikimaru should be here in a few minutes, my Lord," Counsel Sekiya assured his Lord.

Lord Gohda sat at his desk reading the report on the scroll that Counsel Sekiya had just given to him. The village of Namida was being invaded by 'mysterious ninja,' as the message said. Their leader was unknown, as was their purpose, but the frantic message also noted that the ninja were hoarding supplies from the village and were even taking a few of the villagers captive.

"Thank you," Lord Gohda said both wearily and gratefully. His mind was searching for a possible reason for the attack on such a simple village. Namida wasn't the largest of villages, but it was famed for its large assortment of needed supplies and the village's source of strong workers. Most of Japan received their various supplies from the village of Namida.

Lord Gohda stared at the characters scrawled across the yellowed surface of the scroll, damaged by the many hands that brought the message. Did the fact that Namida was useful in terms of services and supplies point to a reason the village was being attacked? Lord Gohda had a strong feeling that it was...which led to another thought lingering unsettlingly in his mind: who might want to invade the village, and for what purpose?

The shoji door slid open and Rikimaru and Ayame walked in. Rikimaru's expression was stoic; golden eyes fixed ahead, the rest of his features concealed by his ever present mask. Ayame had her usual smug demeanor about her, arms folded as she entered the study.

"There is another report of an attack upon a village," Lord Gohda began tiredly, his eyes moving to and from the two ninja seated in front of him. He set down the scroll. "This time, it is on the village of Namida." Lord Gohda paused again. "There have been reports of village workers being taken and of the village supplies being reaped and taken by force by the ninja."

"Whose ninjas are attacking?" Rikimaru asked curiously.

"They have not been identified. The village report suggests that they are but a band of rogue ninjas," Lord Gohda explained.

"But that doesn't back up why they need the villagers. You said they were being taken? Maybe they're needed for some kind of purpose," Ayame suggested all of the sudden.

"Perhaps, but there is no way to be completely sure just by speculation alone. That's why I need you two to leave for Namida tonight," Lord Gohda replied. There was a silence that usually followed Lord Gohda's orders, and then, to Rikimaru's surprise, Ayame suddenly spoke.

"Lord Gohda, if I may ask...is there a possibility that I can take this mission _alone_?" Ayame asked, trying to keep her voice completely devoid of any emotion. She succeeded, yet there was ahint of her sharp and pointed disposition just beneath the guise of her words. Rikimaru looked at her.

"Ayame...I do not think that is a wise choice." Lord Gohda's voice was stern, and for a brief second his eyes flicked over to Rikimaru's in a way that silently asked whether everything was all right between he and his female partner. Rikimaru's features remained blank and expressionless.

"Lord Gohda, please. My progress slows if someone comes along with me." Ayame was pushing it, she knew, but she had to follow through. She couldn't simply go back now and brush her request off.

"Ayame. You understand that Rikimaru is not only your partner, but your leader and your mentor." Lord Gohda watched for her reaction closely.

"I understand," Ayame said stiffly. Rikimaru noticed that she forced out her response in a clipped manner, making great effort to keep her tone even and appropriate in Lord Gohda's presence. Her jaw was tightly set in a tense curve. Rikimaru watched as her fingers curled inwards slightly, itching to ball into a fist.

"You understand that you must treat him and speak of him as such, and with respect."

"I understand."

Lord Gohda looked at her for a moment, studying her posture. She sat with her back as straight as a strong stalk of bamboo and with rigid stubbornness.

Rikimaru was shell-shocked by Lord Gohda's assent.

"Very well."

A satisfied smirk spread across Ayame's lips. She bowed gratefully and was across the room and out the door in a matter of seconds, every one of her steps resonating clicks of contentment. Rikimaru waited until he was certain that Ayame had already gone further down the hallway before speaking.

"My Lord, if I may ask the reasoning behind your choice," Rikimaru asked quietly. It was blasphemous to do so, but he questioned Lord Gohda's intentions. Rikimaru was perfectly aware that Ayame was a more than proficient and lethal ninja...it was her bellicose temper he was concerned about. His partner's attitude, and at times technique, usually came within a hair's width of causing a threat to a whole mission.

"Rikimaru. Ayame is a deadly and skilled ninja. This mission is a simple one that shouldn't trouble her." Lord GOhda contemplated his last phrase. There would be no way to know for sure without Ayame's report when she returned. Rikimaru bowed obediently and exited the study. His mind swirled with uneasy thoughts. _Why do I doubt Ayame's ability like this?_ he asked himself silently, _unless...what I am feeling is not doubt. What could it be?_ he wondered. He had just been robbed of a mission..._no, that was not the reason_...

Rikimaru shook his head to clear those particular thoughts. Instead, he tried to consider what Ayame had been thinking when she so boldly requested that she take the mission solo. What was wrong with her? Rikimaru gave a deep frown as he moved slowly down the hall. _The absolute nerve of her...

* * *

_

Lord Gohda watched as Rikimaru left, with Sekiya following to go to his quarters. His mind wandered back to the early days when he had just received the title of "Lord," back to the early days of his Azuma ninja. He vaguely recalled watching the three young assassins in their teens, training from sun up to sun down.

Tatsumaru, being the oldest, was more of the role model for the two younger pupils of Shiunsai. Ayame was the easily the quickest learner, but the most impatient one. Rikimaru had been the slowest of the three, yet he was deadly dedicated and quickly became the strongest. As far back as Lord Gohda remembered, Ayame had always been cold to the boy. She would find ways to avoid going on missions with Rikimaru...if she could help it. With dogged determination, she would ignore him. Ayame never missed the chance to render him uncomfortable with her sharp remarks. Rikimaru, on the other hand, had often managed to counter her attitude by being pleasant towards her. But even at times, it was difficult. It was during these situations that they could mostly be found quarreling. Lord Gohda had interpreted it as childish immaturity, though it went on, evolving into hostile frigidity.

The three had their share of traumatic events, particularly at the start of both Rikimaru and Ayame's roles as ninja. With the death and betrayal of Tatsumaru, each of the two lost something. Rikimaru lost an older brother, and Ayame lost the man that she supposedly loved. Lord Gohda was aware of Ayame's one-sided love and admiration for him, but it hadn't proved a problem. She was young, only fourteen to Tatsumaru's twenty. It was obvious that the feeling was not mutual, Tatsumaru holding only a sisterly love for the young Ayame. Lord Gohda knew Ayame's true emotional strength when she had vehemently proclaimed that she would be the one to kill Tatsumaru...and how she recovered directly after he had taken his own life.

Lord Gohda sighed. Ayame would be fine. What she and Rikimaru had gone through was more than enough to damage any soul, but it had been evident since the beginning that their spirits were far from ordinary. Lord Gohda smiled softly and cleared his desk, preparing to retire for the night.

* * *

Ayame's smirk was still evident on her lips as she glided into her room and hastily packed a few supplies for the mission. She quickly stepped into her closet and changed into one of her shorter, black kunoichi kimonos, quickly fastening a dark red obi, hiding her swords and grappling hook into its protective folds. She gave a few last minute checks on her equipment before stepping towards the window. 

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open her thin windowpane and maneuvered herself through the tight opening, placing a steady foot out onto the jutting tiles of the roof. Once she had finally passed through the gap, she moved her hand down where her foot was and took a step down another level...and then another...and another...all the way until she was on the ground and was running through the clear night atmosphere.

* * *

Rikimaru stepped out into the hall and walked up the stairs toward his room. As he passed Ayame's open door, he saw a brief glimpse of her just dropping out of sight from the window, out into the night, her delicate hand letting go of the ledge. Quickly he made his decision. Walking with purpose now to his room, he packed a few supplies and strapped Izayoi securely onto his back. From his own window, he gazed down into the small gardens lining the walls of Gohda Castle. Ayame's shadowy and dark, blurred form was almost clear out of view, heading along the road leading away from the castle at a steady pace. He hoped fervently that he was making the right choice.

* * *

Ayame flattened herself tightly against the roof's tiles, surveying the scene below her. From her view atop a high partition that served as the Namida village's walls, there were no villagers out. The air was still and cool, there being no wind tonight. The lights in the huts were all extinguished, no lamps or torches were lit either. The only source of light was the weak moon. Rikimaru's words from their last mission were still ringing through her ears. She narrowed her eyes angrily. She would show him. _I don't need his help_, she thought bitterly. 

Ayame peered cautiously over the edge, raising her head up a fraction of a centimeter. The problem about the village was that, though it was large, there was plenty of open space in which to be easily seen. Her eyes adjusted to the faint glow of the wane moon, and she could feel and see several ninja weaving in and out between the huts and shacks. They paused here and there in front of the doors, listening and making sure that the villagers were asleep instead of plotting an escape or some such thing. Ayame estimated that there were about twenty roaming around the area. Most of the ninja were male, dressed in dark, nondescript clothing from her view point.

Ayame chose to make her move when all four ninja in the nearby area turned their backs. She leapt over the pathway and onto another divider building. A ninja stood directly under her completely unaware, with another one walking away on a side street towards another section of the village, and the two others hovering around the huge watering well. The one walking away would return soon, though she couldn't make an accurate guess when. Ayame calculated her odds. Killing the one below her would most definitely alert the two by the well. She crouched and rolled across the roof in the direction of the adjoining roof directly in front of the two guards close together. With a light jump, she hopped across the tiny gap between the houses, landing smoothly.

The lone guard up ahead turned to face the opposite direction and Ayame dropped down in between the two ninja below her. Her left foot swung out and caught one of the guards in the back of the head with a powerful blow, a dull crunch following suit. Her right arm swung forward at the same time, arm stretched out, her blade cleanly slicing through his armor and easily severing his head. Ayame twisted in midair and landed lightly in the middle of the mangled bodies. The bodies seemed to hang suspended in the air as if held up by strings, and as Ayame rose, the strings broke and they crumpled to the ground.

The ninja up ahead had just turned in their direction, ready to make his return trip back and possibly check up on his comrades. Ayame reacted quickly by pulling a shuriken from her obi, throwing it swiftly in his direction just as his mouth was ready to open to call for help. The sharp steel imbedded itself deep in the middle of his forehead. The ninja's eyes widened even more, and he toppled sideways onto the ground.

Ayame dashed for the nearest building and grappled up onto the roof. She could feel the other ninja's ki making his way back steadily. If she waited, he would no doubt enter the open area and see her handiwork, then the whole village would know of her presence. There was still a chance that she could catch and assassinate him...

Crouching and rolling with the speed and weightlessness of a leaf caught in a wind, Ayame carefully made her way across the tiles, drawing nearer and nearer to the ninja's ki until she was right on the ledge above him. She jumped down and landed on the man's shoulders. Twisting her body sharply to the left, her knees jerked the man's neck all the way around with a grotesque crack. Ayame jumped off of his body easily.

Ayame took a breath and smiled at herself. _Didn't even get spotted_, she thought proudly. She had to admit, she hadn't executed the assassinations as she had hoped, but nonetheless she got the job done...in this area at least. Her eyes studied the ninja's clothing more closely. A dark red mark on the collar suddenly caught her eye. Ayame bent downwards, squinting. Fancy Japanese kanji letters read "KJ."

"'KJ'?" Ayame repeated aloud. _As in Kojuro Province?_ The ninja were from Lord Kojuro! Ayame frowned, puzzled. It didn't make sense. Lord Kojuro was far from the type to send ninja to invade a village. Warlords across Japan frowned upon his gluttonous way of living...and also on his cowardice. Ayame made a mental note to mention this to Lord Gohda as she pulled out her grappling hook and pulled herself back up the building. For now, her goal was to find the missing villagers.

* * *

Rikimaru crouched high in a tree and watched as Ayame did multiple kills, watching with awe as she performed her double stealth kills. Her flexibility was perfect, her timing impeccable, and her technique was so proficient that it left you dizzy with how effortless she made it look. The double stealth kills suited her style. He had always been fascinated with her acrobatic style, combining strength with litheness. She had always been an amazing sight. He did a double take in response to his last thought. Somehow, he didn't think that describing his clan sister as an "amazing sight" was the most innocent (or appropriate) of thoughts, and he was beginning to question other reasons he had for following her. Inwardly, Rikimaru groaned. He could not be thinking these thoughts at the moment. He focused instead on Ayame's ki and where she was headed next. 

Rikimaru had followed her carefully; years of being her partner had taught him how far her ki range was. He stayed just out of reach of her senses, and had chosen this strategic spot in which to observe her. All the while he tried not to dwell too much on how might Ayame react if she discovered that he was following her.

That conversation would most certainly be anything but pleasant.

* * *

Ayame peered past the wall she was hiding behind at the ninja and kunoichi walking up and down the wooden pathways in the northern section of the village. The village was scattered with the bodies of the eighteen ninja she had successfully killed, not a single time was she spotted. Now, these two were the only ones left. She narrowed her eyes at them, scrutinizing their complicated patrol path. The way they crossed each other left only the option of a double stealth kill. 

Slinging her grappling hook onto the roof of the shack, Ayame pulled herself up slowly, rolling over the edge. She crouched behind the small chimney like structure atop the hut and waited until the kunoichi and ninja were just several inches apart. She stood up, ran a few steps, and launched herself off of the edge all in one fluid motion. Landing dead in between the kunoichi and ninja, she swung out with her left hand, lodging her blade into the kunoichi's abdomen. With her right hand, she did the same to the ninja. With her blades still in their bodies, Ayame twisted and brought her swords up, slicing through their ribs and all the way up to their throats. She dislodged her swords with a final jerk, and flicked them by her sides, blood spattering the ground. The kunoichi and ninja fell forwards, their hands half reaching for their wounds and half reaching for their killer, and then they lay still.

Ayame stood for a moment, silently reveling in the euphoric feeling that often came when she successfully made a kill. She reached out with her ki. No enemies. That didn't disturb her quite as much...but the fact that there were no ki of the captured villagers definitely did.

Quickly, Ayame dashed down the rest of the path leading towards the upper section of the village. She rounded the corner, hoping fervently that her ki was just being troublesome today. Even as she thought so, she highly doubted it. The sight that came into view before her didn't reassure her at all.

"Damn...they took the village workers already," Ayame muttered as she looked at the empty makeshift holding cell. "I didn't think they would be in such a hurry..."

"A little old to be having someone following you around, aren't you?" drawled a voice behind her. Ayame turned, instinctively swinging her sword around with her. The owner of the voice, a woman, slid back easily, evading the blade's reaches. Her scarlet lips turned up into a sneer as she gazed upon the kunoichi before her.

The woman standing before her was a strange sight to behold; she was in the full regalia of one of high status and royalty. Her features were sharp and bold, a look of commanding authority. Her kimono was extravagantly adorned with depictions of white snow and trees, a background of gray clouds completing the winter-like scene. Her hair was crafted into three curved loops at the top of her head, expensive hair ornaments arranged within the glossy strands. Ayame wondered what a woman of such high class would be doing in such a simple village like this. Her first thought was that she was a geisha, but she immediately dismissed the fact after studying her clothing. Geisha were much showier in a fashionable sense. The woman before her was appropriately dressed to be attending a lord's party, rather than entertaining at one.

"Who are you? Do you have something to do with this?" Ayame fired off coolly, gesturing toward the empty cell. "And what do you mean by 'someone following me around'?" Her fingers tightened around her blades, muscles itching to swing towards this woman. She was completely puzzled by the woman's cryptic comment. What did she mean? As far as she knew, the only one following her was this strange woman! Ayame was fully determined to get some answers and to find out who was responsible, even if it meant beating this woman to a bloody pulp. She didn't have the patience to be swayed by senseless comments. _All for the innocent villagers._

The woman didn't answer. Instead, she briefly turned her sharp eyes toward the area behind the black clad kunoichi. Ayame, impatient, moved forward with her blades outstretched. The woman was quicker; her glossy lips turned up into a cruel smile as she threw down a smoke bomb.

"Coward!" Ayame turned her head and tried to blindly reach for the woman's ki. The woman seemed to reappear directly behind her, but when Ayame kicked, her foot only cut through air. She had disappeared. Frustrated, she slashed out somewhere in front of her, again coming into contact with nothing. Ayame's eyes were burning, and she could feel the incessant fumes invading her lungs. She tried to stop her instinct from sucking in more gulps of tainted air but she struggled, staggering backwards. The smoke eventually cleared, and Ayame's vision ceased from blurring. Her senses suddenly registered eight different ki all at once, and she realized that she was surrounded. Eight ninja completely enclosed her in a tight circle. The mysterious woman was nowhere in sight.

_Damn, I thought I killed them all!_ Ayame thought, mentally kicking herself for being careless. She tried to think of a way out of this one, her mind going haywire with possible escape plans. None of them clicked. There were too many of them for her to take on all at once. Still, she had to try. Ayame raised her left blade up slightly and looked at the reflection of the ninja behind her. The ninja raised his sword and stepped forward, and Ayame turned and struck at the same time. Her blade dragged across his midriff, and he reeled backwards. She felt the two others close in on her from behind and she delivered a back kick that sent one of them flying. Ayame raised her swords to parry a strike from one of the ninja in front of her when she felt a sharp blow explode upon the back of her head.

She was slipping forward fast...and she dimly felt one of the ninja's swords slicing through her lower back. Time seemed to slow as Ayame fell, and she thought she heard the clangs and clashes of swords. A fight was ensuing. Ayame tried to turn and see who it was, but her vision was fast becoming dark, senses dimming. The throbbing in her head worsened to painful stabs. A sharp pain radiated from her right arm...and then another on her left thigh... Ayame was on the ground now after falling sideways onto the hard earth. The last thing she saw was one of the ninja's bodies dropping in front of her, shuriken protruding from the forehead, before finally, her sight turned black.

* * *

Rikimaru had acted fast, catapulting himself from the tree once he had sensed Ayame's ki enclosed by eight others. There was another ki too, but it blinked out before he could identify whose it was. He sprinted quickly and arrived just in time to hurl a shuriken towards the skull of the ninja who was just about to put the finishing touches on the kunoichi. 

The others had closed around him quickly, forming a tight circle. Time moved in slow motion as he jerked his sword under his arm, stabbing the point through the stomach of the ninja behind him. Rikimaru yanked Izayoi out, spraying blood. He was vaguely aware of a shooting pain in his lower leg as he swung Izayoi around, catching the last two ninja by the throats.

Rikimaru stood for a moment, pausing for breath and wiping away flecks of blood on his face. One of the ninja's arms reached vainly for him, fingers bloody. Rikimaru thrust his sword through the back of his neck and the man's arm fell slack.

The ninja subdued, Rikimaru walked over to where Ayame lay unconscious. Her head was bleeding, and there were shallow wounds across her back, arms, and legs. Gathering the limp body of his partner easily in his arms, he sped off in the direction of Gohda palace.

Rikimaru had been too occupied to notice the kimono-clad woman standing in the shadows, watching him.

* * *

**Author's note:**  
Another chapter, yay! Thanks for everyone's reviews...they really mean a lot. This chapter may have a few errors...I tried my best to catch all of them, but I think I might have missed a few things. Review again with comments, suggestions, whatever. I didn't really feel like this was my best chapter, but if time permits, I think I'll rewrite or something...In the mean time, hope this keeps you busy until the next chapter. The next chapter is going to be pretty long as well... 


	6. Chapter 5: Affliction

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**Part I: Fury**

**Chapter 5 summary:  
In this chapter, Rikimaru struggles with the emotions now clouding his mind and his heart, along with the real reason he secretly followed Ayame on her mission. At the same time, Ayame recovers from the ninja attack in the last chapter. Yukihoko unearths the truth about the two of them and tries to get Rikimaru to confess how he truly feels about his partner...**

**Chapter 5: Affliction**

Rikimaru burst breathlessly into the empty healer's wing at Gohda castle with the motionless Ayame in his arms. His muscles were screaming for rest, and he was utterly relieved that he had finally reached his destination. Yukihoko looked up from her table at the abrupt interruption, and her eyes widened at the sight of Ayame.

"Rikimar- oh kami!" Yukihoko exclaimed as she leapt up and hurriedly prepared one of the beds, peeling back the sheets. Rikimaru laid Ayame down gently upon the bright white sheets. Blood immediately fanned out from her form, painting a grisly picture. "What happened?"

"A group of eight ninja ambushed her during her mission, I only got there just in time," Rikimaru said wearily as he watched Yukihoko cut strips of cloth and mix antidotes at an alarming speed. Yukihoko's brow was creased with concentration, the sleeves of her kimono swirling in a flurry as she worked with efficiency known only to those masterful in healing. As she finished bustling around, she had several bowls of pungent ointments and antidotes waiting on the table beside the bed.

Yukihoko stepped over to a shelf and returned to Ayame's bedside with a small knife in hand. Peeling back the bed sheets, Yukihoko turned to Rikimaru. "I need to remove her clothing in order to clean her wounds." Rikimaru stared at her for a moment, face blank. It didn't seem to register quickly just exactly what Yukihoko wanted him to do until she continued to look at him pointedly, gesturing with her eyes to turn away.

"Sumimasen," Rikimaru stuttered as he turned quickly and faced the opposite direction. He sighed and was suddenly greatly tired. The soft sounds of Yukihoko carefully tending to Ayame were soothing, and he realized that he was now kneeling on a cushion. He leaned against the wall and looked out the window at the dark sky, the stars twinkling down at him teasingly. As his breathing became normal and his muscles started to embrace the moment of rest, his mind slowly wandered back to the events that just happened.

Before the ninjas' attack, Rikimaru recalled feeling a stranger's ki materialize in the area where Ayame was. The ki was unrecognizable, but somehow, he could sense it was a woman's. He had been about to dismiss it as one of the village women civilians when her ki seemed to disappear and was replaced by eight other ones that quickly surrounded Ayame. He had instinctively launched himself from the protective haven of the tree and made a mad dash for his partner. Her usually fiery and defiant ki signaled distress. Rikimaru had burst onto the scene just in time to see her collapse to the ground, a ninja's sword poised over her, ready to plunge down the immaculately sharp tip into her abdomen.

Subduing the ninja had been the least difficult part...the one that troubled him was getting Ayame to Gohda Castle in time. He had sprinted as fast as his legs could allow while carrying his fragile cargo...not an easy feat. His muscles had felt like they were on fire, but he had pushed himself to ignore the pain. Rikimaru barely acknowledged the injury on his leg, the only thing on his mind was getting the kunoichi to safety as quickly as possible. He had sprinted across rocky terrain, ducked under trees, and hurtled over small streams and other obstacles...and Ayame barely fluttered her eyes. It didn't take long for him to begin to worry.

Periodically, he had stopped to monitor her pulse, which was dim, but he was grateful that one was present. Numerous cuts and budding bruises bloomed over her porcelain skin, like cruel imperfections on a beautiful yet unlucky flower. He had taken notice of a particularly nasty slash on her lower back by the warm blood leaking from her wound and onto his arm as he swiftly dodged obstacles intercepting his way.

With Ayame home, Rikimaru was now truly concerned about another thing: the intensity of worry and fright he had felt for Ayame's life. He had been too anxious for him to be comfortable about his emotions. He suddenly realized that he hadn't thought about the mission at all, even though it wasn't his own. In fact, he could have cared less. He had been so intent on saving Ayame that he hadn't once thought about his role as a ninja.

Ninja didn't save each other...that fact was a given. There was an unwritten code that made it perfectly clear...though the code had been broken before. It was always either yourself or your mission, with no room for exceptions. Ninja were forced to do everything possible to complete their assignments and lay down their lives for their lord without hesitation. Yet as Rikimaru's mind wandered to the fact that it was of his own choosing to follow Ayame, it dawned on him that his intention all along had obviously been to keep her from trouble and to bring her back safely.

Rikimaru's heart began to beat as fast as these insights registered in his head. What was happening? Since when did he hold this much concern for her? His will to save her was frightening...so frightening that he couldn't even just dismiss it as 'sisterly love.' Perhaps his heart had begun to believe what his mind wanted him to. With these questions grappling in both his mind and his heart, his eyelids suddenly felt heavy. They drooped, sleepy tendrils reaching for him and lulling him into a slightly reluctant sleep. He tried to fight it and stay awake, but slowly, he found himself surrendering and finally drifted off...

* * *

Yukihoko glanced over at Rikimaru leaning against the wall as she cut away the remnants of Ayame's ruined kunoichi kimono. Even from far away, she could tell that the masked ninja was asleep. Yukihoko gazed down at Ayame and gently pulled the last few bits of cloth clinging around the edges of her cuts. Taking a clean towel dipped in warm water, she cleaned the blood streaming Ayame's body and wrapped cloth tightly around her arms, legs and abdomen.

_Impulsive girl..._she thought, shaking her head. _One day you're going to get yourself killed. What if he's not there to save you then?_ It was the ninja's job, she knew. Death was always close, hovering nearby like an ominous mist with every mission. But it was also the ninja's job to chase away the mist until after they successfully completed the mission.

* * *

Rikimaru was jolted awake from his usual fitful sleep as a sharp pain flared up on his leg. For a moment, he was confused. _Why am I in the healer's wing?_ It took several seconds for the events from several hours before to come flooding into his mind. Ayame's subdued ki lay nearby as his reminder. He looked down to see Yukihoko bent over his leg with a towel.

"You're bleeding." Yukihoko said as she carefully wiped away the congealing blood caked around his wound.

"I'll be fine...it is Ayame who needs your attention," Rikimaru said, trying to pull his leg back from her grasp. Yukihoko only held on tighter and pressed the towel onto his cut. He stopped struggling and finally gave in, rubbing his eyes to try to clear the sleep away from them.

"Relax...I've been done with her hours ago. You fell asleep," she said, smiling kindly at the silvery-haired ninja. "It's already morning."

Rikimaru looked out the window. Sure enough, the blinding rays of early morning sunlight streamed through the slits between wood and paper, casting dizzying patterns on the tatami floors. His eyes burned with the brightness, and he focused his eyes back on the kunoichi slumbering soundly on the futon.

"Has she...woken up yet?" Rikimaru asked, half afraid that she was conscious to realize that he had followed her on her mission, and half afraid that her head injury might have done more damage than he had thought.

"No...but she should be fine. The cuts were shallow and she'll be bruised for awhile but that's the worst of it."

Rikimaru heard himself sigh with relief, and quickly wished that he hadn't done so. Yukihoko briefly stopped cleaning his leg and looked at him curiously.

"Lord Gohda came in awhile ago." Yukihoko said as she finally finished wiping his leg. She reached over to a stand nearby and removed a bowl brimming with a greenish cream. Using a brush, she coated Rikimaru's leg with the thick ointment. Rikimaru barely flinched as the cream seeped through his skin, glad for the cooling sensation that immediately followed the short and stinging pain.

"Was he...angry?" Rikimaru questioned as Yukihoko finished wrapping cloth around his calf.

"Why would he be?" Yukihoko asked, tilting her head at him. She knelt on the cushion across from him, scrutinizing him with inquisitive eyes. Lord Gohda had been more relieved that Ayame was home safely than furious at Rikimaru disobedience, though as he left the healer's wing, he held a strange and indecipherable expression on his aging face.

Rikimaru hesitated, closing his slightly parted mouth. He had almost let it slip through and he was thankful for the mask on his face.

"Perhaps because you weren't assigned to follow Ayame on this mission?" Yukihoko pushed. She waited, gauging his reaction. Lord Gohda had indeed informed her that he hadn't assigned Rikimaru to the mission. According to him, Ayame had been rather intent on taking the mission solo.

Silence.

"Rikimaru, are you aware that I was a geisha in my earlier years? I was an expert at hiding my feelings while having a keen perception of my customers' emotions...and I still have that ability. You can't possibly hide something like this from me." Yukihoko waited, giving him another chance to explain himself before she moved in with another comment. "You care about her...obviously more than you should."

"She is my partner...and she has been for a long time." Rikimaru tried to say this convincingly, but apparently it wasn't enough as Yukihoko immediately jumped on his words.

"I've seen you and Ayame in here more times than I see the guards coming in from the war or patrolling the borders. Whether it was falling out of a tree, a rogue genin ninja, or some other such thing, you were always the one to bring her in. The way she treats you in return each and every time? That can go without saying, yet you still continue to save her neck more times than you can count Kiku's kimonos."

Yukihoko's words hit home. Rikimaru didn't need to decipher into her meaning more to know that she was completely right. His mind reeled to all the times he had done something good for Ayame. Every single memory ended in some sharp retort on her part, with nothing about gratefulness. Rikimaru cast his eyes down to the tatami floor as though there was something terribly interesting there, studying the patterns the straw made.

Sensing that he was already very uncomfortable with the topic, Yukihoko stood up and walked out of the room, leaving him drowning in his thoughts.

Yukihoko's ki was far down the hall when Rikimaru rose to kneel next to Ayame's bed. He hesitated as he neared her figure, stepping lightly as if she was a sleeping goddess who was ready to smite him with her power if awoken. He paused only for a few moments and then pushed himself to move._ It is Ayame, for kami's sake!_ He knelt by her nervously, watching as her breathing raised the thin blanket up and down at a steady rhythm.

Almost immediately after Rikimaru kneeled beside her, Ayame gave a muffled moan as she turned her head slightly and shifted on the mattress. Rikimaru observed her anxiously, unsure of what to do.

"Tatsu...maru..." Ayame muttered, her eyes still closed. She tossed and turned her body from side to side as if troubled, muttering inaudible things. Rikimaru was about to stand and call for Yukihoko when Ayame finally ceased her movements. She was now facing his direction, her blanket twisted around her form and sagging where her chest was, revealing a tiny hint of her breasts. Gently, Rikimaru tugged her blanket back around to cover her completely, fighting the blushing heat now rising to his cheeks. He gazed down at her features. Her normally impassive face was slick with sweat, a deep frown creasing her forehead. Her face was paler than usual, as was the rest of her skin, her lips a muted pink. Rikimaru took a cold towel from the bowl on the table and placed it gently on her forehead, wiping tiny rivers of sweat from her face. Without warning, Ayame reached up and grasped Rikimaru's hand tightly.

Rikimaru almost pulled out of her grasp, startled by her touch. He was entranced by her fragrance of orchids, despite all of the creams and poultices that Yukihoko applied. Her skin was as soft as silk. There was the electric feeling that coursed through his arm again like currents, similar to those when he had grabbed her hand during the mission to kill the mountain bandits. Her skin was flagrant and fiery to the touch, but it wasn't because she was feverish...it was something else, though once again Rikimaru was unable to identify it.

"Don't leave me...Tatsu..." she mumbled fitfully, pleadingly. Rikimaru couldn't explain what he felt as he heard the name of his late clan brother and leader. The very mention of his name jerked at his heart, but it wasn't because Tatsumaru had betrayed them all, or at least it wasn't the whole reason...it was because Ayame was calling Tatsumaru's name instead of his.

Rikimaru stopped, his mind doing an abrupt double take. This could not be happening. Was be beginning to...love her? Impossible! She angered him countless times, which wouldn't have been that surprising if it weren't that she seemed to revel in making his hair turn grayer on purpose! No doubt she was much recalcitrant for her own good, but she had admirable emotional strength. She was passionate and fearless. She was the epitome of grace and wit, all in a beautiful package. She was stubborn, headstrong, and reckless, so much so that there were times when he would have liked nothing more than to knock some sense into her.

He remembered what they had told each other long ago, when he was just eighteen and when Ayame was only fourteen. After Lord Gohda's troops had sunk Lady Kagami's warship, the Fire Demon, there had been no sign of Ayame. The last he had seen of her before flaming arrows rained down upon the ship was when she was at the bow, slumped over Tatsumaru's dead body. She was nowhere in sight, and he had been surprised to see her in the aftermath, kneeling before the makeshift grave of Tatsumaru. The scene unfolded in front of him with the clarity of water...

_"Ayame...you made it!" he said incredulously, startled to see the scarlet clad kunoichi kneeling before a simple pile of stones. Rikimaru watched her place a sprig of white flowers gently at the base of the rocks, her movements having an air of finality about them. He could not see her face, but he already knew that her expression was somber. She bowed her head one last time before standing up._

_"I'm going to become strong so that no one will ever take away anything that I care about..." Ayame whispered, facing away from Rikimaru and looking off in the distant oceans. The cool winds carried her words over to Rikimaru, lacing around him before drifting off with the breeze._

_"Good." Rikimaru turned to leave._

_"What are you going to do now?" Ayame asked, turning towards him. Her scarlet kimono flapped in the light wind._

_Rikimaru paused and turned to look back at her. "I wish only to serve Lord Gohda."_

_"I'm coming with you," she said, walking with him side by side in the direction of Gohda castle, "There's someone in there that's worth dying and living for." A bird suddenly flew across the lucid blue sky as they walked, wings stretched out and flying freely over the ocean waters past the cliffs and mountains. Tatsumaru's spirit, they had always believed._

The memory dissolved, and Rikimaru found himself in the healer's wing again. Everything was different now. People changed, and it seemed that he did. Despite how he tried desperately to deny it, he couldn't do it this time. He was human, and the emotions he had tried so hard to bury under a faceless mask had resurfaced completely. It would take much more to try and conceal it again than to accept it.

The inevitable realization hit like a splash of cold water on a hot summer's day on his body and with the horror as if discovering a new evil within him.

Rikimaru loved her.

It was bad enough that Ayame was disgusted by his very existence, but she was his partner, clan sister, and student! His feelings were beyond blasphemous. What Shiunsai did not teach Rikimaru was mental warfare, though this was a completely different situation. Rikimaru was waging an emotional war with himself. It was one thing to manage his emotions, and another thing to choose the people whom he would be drawn to. The latter he could not control.

Rikimaru sighed heavily and stroked the back of her hand softly with his fingertips, the electric currents running up and down his arms like waves of static. They were more unexplainable rather than unpleasant. Yes, it was definitely a new evil to face. _As if there weren't enough evil in Japan already.

* * *

_

"I saw her at the village, Lord Mei-Oh." Lady Shizuka informed the orb floating above the throne. She stood in the center of the vast rocky room. "I am guessing that it will be soon when they may start to realize what is going on."

"Excellent."

"I had my ninja try to kill her-"

"No!" Lord Mei-Oh suddenly hissed, his tone venomously vehement, "You must not kill her! Did I not make myself clear when I said that she is needed? I have a use for her." Lord Mei-Oh flared an even brighter shade of green.

Lady Shizuka, momentarily forgetting her bearings replied skeptically, "Surely you can't mean her? There is nothing special about the girl; I myself thought that she was an apprentice ninja when I saw her...having her mentor hovering around-"

"Her mentor?"

"Yes. That silver haired ninja was hiding nearby while this kunoichi carried out the mission."

"Rikimaru...," Lord Mei-Oh whispered more to himself than to Lady Shizuka. He felt hatred well up as the name brought memories of him fleeing into the portal, his physical form mortally wounded. Quickly, he dimmed them and channeled that hate to determination. He could not lose patience, not when he was this close to carrying out the rest of the plan.

"Lord Mei-Oh, my ninja were eliminated by this Rikimaru, but before that, they were successful in incapacitating the girl. I was watching when Rikimaru flew in from nowhere, killing all eight of the ninja and rescuing the Azuma brat. Is that not against the ninja code?" she smirked. "I found it peculiar how urgent he seemed to get that kunoichi back..."

"Shizuka...I will say this one more time, and only once: do not kill the kunoichi."

"Isn't there another kunoichi who could possibly be the target you speak of?" Lady Shizuka asked in the most respectable way that she could manage, trying to hide her disbelief and skepticism.

"It seems that I did not make myself completely clear on this subject: the Azuma clan consists of only two ninja."

Lady Shizuka's eyes widened incredulously. "Two? You spoke of them as if they were a whole clan! How can they be of a nuisance if there are only two ninja?"

"This is precisely why I did not inform you. They are not to be underestimated...if I had told you from the start your efforts would be less."

"Lord Mei-Oh, I can hardly believe that two ninja can be so dangerous..."

"You are underestimating them. Exactly what I was afraid of...Shizuka, do not argue with me. The one they call Rikimaru is the ninja that made me lose my physical form in the first place. He is also the one who killed Tenrai."

"I am aware of that, yet if he is the real target, then why did you not tell me? I had the perfect chance to kill him."

"Again, it is not that easy. Besides...just outright killing him is not enough...suffering has to be involved..." That was all that Lord Mei-Oh said.

"Where does the kunoichi fit into all of this if it is Rikimaru that you really wish to kill?"

"Questions, questions, questions...I have already gone through this with Onikage. The reason will be clear in a matter of time. In fact, the first signs are starting to show."

Lady Shizuka stayed silent, simply keeping her eyes respectfully low. Only a bright glimmer of green flame hovered near the top of her vision as she dropped her gaze at the foot of the obsidian throne.

"You have my villagers?"

"Yes, Lord Keiji is unloading them at the dock."

"You may leave, then. I advise you to be much careful about matters now, Shizuka. Do not disappoint me." Lord Mei-Oh's last few words had an air of definiteness that left no room for disagreement.

Lady Shizuka simply gave a bow and walked out of the cavernous room. So far, it was the only room in their fortress that was fully completed. Her dainty zori slippers padded across the stone floor as she headed for the dock where her husband was helping Onikage get the villagers to start working.

Going up to Lord Keiji, she rose to the tips of her slippers, her lips just inches away from his ear.

"Were you aware that this Azuma clan only has two ninja?" she whispered as discreetly as possible with Onikage in the vicinity.

Lord Keiji turned and gazed down at his wife with dark eyes. From her neck radiated the scent of jasmine and for the briefest of moments he was distracted by her beauty. "No. But obviously Lord Mei-Oh would know how to deal with his nuisances. He is, after all, a fiery green orb with no physical form because of the leader of the clan. No ordinary ninja could do that, so of course the Azuma must not be the average ninja clan."

Lady Shizuka glowered, still refusing to believe the harm that a ninja and a kunoichi could do. Lord Keiji observed her expression for several seconds before saying, "Shizuka, they have obviously accomplished it before and they could just as easily do it again. That is why we must wait and be patient, watching for the perfect time to attack their weakness."

"Has Lord Mei-Oh discussed this so called 'weakness' with you?" she asked, watching as the petty villagers huddled together in a frightened group as they were ushered off the boat that transported them to the fortress. Lady Shizuka inwardly snickered.

"Of course not. You know better than anyone that plans are best kept secret until the very last minute."

"What about this kunoichi he keeps mentioning? I saw her at the village. There is nothing special about the girl. An Azuma adolescent is what she really is," Lady Shizuka hissed.

"Shizuka, do not argue with Lord Mei-Oh's intentions. If He says that the kunoichi will be useful, then she will be useful. We must be patient." Lord Keiji stressed the last few words, his teeth clicking.

Lady Shizuka scowled, her eyes like daggers as she turned away, leaving a trail of jasmine fragrance. Her kimono trailed behind her. "I'll be at our estate. Come to me when you are finished here."

* * *

**Author's note:**  
Chapter title is after the new song by A.F.I. (I love them, they're awesome) Thanks for the reviews...it will take awhile for me to get to the whole story's namesake, "The Flames of Fudo", but I'm gradually getting there. School's out, YES! Unfortunately, I've got a lot of things going on during the summer too, so it will be sporadic updates. I appreciate the regular readers though! Keep reading, and I might just e-mail my usual 'thank you for reviewing' letter along with a little taste of the next chapter...depends on what mood I'm in though. Some words used in the chapter:

**Kami- god  
Sumimasen- I'm sorry**

Don't hesitate to critique my work...tell me what is good about my story and for heaven's sake tell me what is BAD. I am serious about writing and I really want to improve. If you don't support the Riki/Aya pairing, then for heaven's sake why are you reading this? Well, at least just review my conventions and the style of my writing. Thanks again! Next chapter should be up in a bit...it's long. Ah what the heck, expect EVERY chapter to be long. That's my style. Questions? Comments? You know the drill.


	7. Chapter 6: Lonely and Damaged Property

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**Part I: Fury**

**Chapter 6 summary:  
****Rikimaru struggles with this newfound 'evil' inside of him. Meanwhile, Ayame regains consciousness and fights between the feelings she had for Tatsumaru...and the feelings that she now has for Rikimaru, unearthing her own 'evil.'**

**Chapter 6: Lonely and Damaged Property**

Ayame was fourteen again.

She was running through the forest, her short crimson kimono clinging to her as she guided her body through the large trees, leaping over gaps in the path and ducking under low branches. She had to find Tatsumaru. He was confused! Confused about his identity and who his _real _allies were. How could he forget Master Shiunsai? Didn't he even feel a sliver of recognition as he watched his own master's blood drip from the very sword that he had bestowed upon him? How could he have forgotten everything as though his mind were a slate wiped clean?

_How could he have forgotten me?_

"Wait...Tatsumaru, where are you going? Don't leave! Don't leave me!" she gasped out as she ran, choking on the air flooding her lungs as she picked up speed. It was cruel. No matter how fast she ran, he always seemed to be faster, widening the gap between them. Leaving her. Leaving with that woman, that Kagami.

"Tatsumaru!" she yelled again into the expanse of trees. The trunks and leaves seemed to huddle together closer, cutting off her path.

The scene switched unexpectedly. Now, she was standing aboard Lady Kagami's warship, the Fire Demon. Tatsumaru stood before her again, a grave expression over his handsome features. The way he looked at her broke her heart. She knew that he would never love her, as was her dream. She could see it in his eyes now, the truth screaming at her...he loved Kagami.

"I told you that when we would meet again, I would have to kill you," his voice was hard and strained.

"Oh, we'll fight all right...but you will not kill me," she forced out unwaveringly, gritting her teeth. Ayame was surprised at how strong the words came out. On the inside, she couldn't have felt more different. Her duty forced her to do this. She had to restore honor to the Azuma.

The fight fast-forwarded itself to the very end, almost freezing as Ayame held Izayoi pointed towards Tatsumaru's chest. Tatsumaru looked up at her while he was sprawled against the ship's railing, his dark and weary eyes seeming to congratulate her. After all, she had won the fight. Up until now, she had never beaten him in a duel. She was a true ninja now. She was maturing.

"Why Tatsumaru...why?" she asked sadly, staring down at the man whom she had dreams of marrying ever since she was a child. Her arm was steady, yet she made no move to perform the final and necessary deed.

Tatsumaru reached out and grabbed just under the hilt of the sword, barely wincing as the razor-sharp blade sliced his fingers. Mustering up the last of his strength he impaled himself with Izayoi in one swift and quick motion, biting back the sudden urge to cry out. Ayame stared at him in an impossible mix of shock and sadness.

"Unforgivable crimes must be punished," Tatsumaru choked out, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his lips, "the traitor must die."

The scene fast-forwarded once again and here Ayame was standing at the very bow of the ship, looking down into the waters. The waves seemed to be welcoming her, the sound that they made lapping at the side of the boat were calling her name. It would be so easy to let the cool ocean envelop her, losing herself in the hypnotizing and mysterious depths that were beneath.

Her job was done here. With a final glance to the body of the man who had meant so much to her, she leaned forward. Her body hung, suspended, moving slowly and then quickly picking up speed as she descended headfirst towards the inviting waters.

Darkness. The scene changed itself to where there was only a gray mist shrouding everything, blurring her surroundings.

Someone had been holding her hand. It was a gentle touch that calmed her, and she turned, desperately seeking the owner of the caring touch. Her hands reached out, seemingly able to grab the shadow person for a brief moment before he slipped through her fingers like a ghost.

And then the scenes were replaying themselves all over again, each with horrifying detail behind her closed eyelids, trapped in her subconscious and reliving her darkest memories.

* * *

"Ayame!" Kiku's troubled voice echoed in the healer's wing. The young princess practically threw herself onto the cushion beside Ayame's futon, reaching for her big sister's hand. Her round face was clouded by a tearful air, her big brown eyes like two dark puddles. Yukihoko went over to the princess and tried to calm her down.

"Shh...Kiku...Ayame needs her rest," Yukihoko said quietly, placing a soft hand on Kiku's shoulder.

"Is oneesan going to be okay?"

"Yes, she will be fine. Don't cry! Do you think Ayame would want to see you with your pretty face all wet?" Yukihoko handed her a cloth to wipe her face.

Rikimaru sat in the corner of the room, regarding the scene silently. Princess Kiku suddenly turned in his direction, and ran over to him, kimono flying.

"Rikimaru, are you worried too?" she asked as she struggled to encircle his large torso with her rather diminutive arms, making for an awkward hug. Surprised, Rikimaru simply looked down at the young girl, uncertain whether it would be appropriate to return the action. Yukihoko nodded to him encouragingly and he lowered his arms, patting Kiku on the back several times. He was surprised by this sudden gesture. The princess saved these kinds of affections for her big sister; rarely would she ever go to Rikimaru for something of the like. He was always the one standing in the distance, watching as the two played.

"Rikimaru? Are you worried?" Kiku asked again with slight impatience, looking up at him innocently. Rikimaru swore that sometimes she knew exactly what he was thinking. Perhaps he was just becoming paranoid.

"Yukihoko-san says that Ayame will be all right, Kiku-hime. No need to worry," he said softly. Rikimaru said this, trying to convince himself at the same time. It didn't seem to work for the princess. Kiku appeared to be unsatisfied by his answer, her nose wrinkling, but nonetheless she reluctantly let go and returned to her post by Ayame's bed.

Rikimaru stood up and headed for the door in what was a weary manner. "I must speak to Lord Gohda," he said solemnly to Yukihoko as he passed. She nodded understandingly, already knowing the subject that they would be discussing. She watched as Rikimaru walked out of the door. She had to admire how such a man like he could walk with such grace as he was of a very muscular build.

Rikimaru walked down the hall, his shoulders tense. How was he to explain his motives behind the situation? He hardly thought that confessing, "I followed Ayame because even though we act like we hate each other, I appear to have some conflicting emotions like...oh say, love," would do it for Lord Gohda. But Rikimaru couldn't help but wonder how Lord Gohda would react if he had said that. Would he be angry? Of course! Would he allow it? Not a chance. Would he separate them? Not likely, as it would be unwise to separate a clan consisting only of two ninja. Perhaps he would hire new ninja?

With these thoughts swirling in his head like a turbulent storm, Rikimaru suddenly found himself standing right before Lord Gohda's study. Rikimaru reached out and placed his fingers in the handle. Taking a deep breath, he slid the door aside and slipped in quietly, kneeling before Lord Gohda's desk. Lord Gohda looked up from the book he was poring over, and settled his eyes on Rikimaru.

"Rikimaru. Is Ayame all right?" Lord Gohda asked, his forehead creased.

"Yes, my Lord, she is fine. She has yet to awaken in the healer's wing," Rikimaru answered quietly, bowing his head.

There was a silence as Lord Gohda waited for Rikimaru to voice his purpose behind this visit.

"My lord, I wish to apologize about my sudden decision to pursue Ayame on her mission. I did not know what I was thinking," Rikimaru said, his voice tight and laden with respect.

Lord Gohda simply nodded, an expression on his face appearing as though he was waiting for Rikimaru to say more. When Rikimaru did not, Lord Gohda spoke.

"You were risking more than just your own life with your impulsive choice," Lord Gohda began sternly, "You were also risking the fate of the clan."

"I understand, my Lord." Rikimaru lowered his eyes.

Lord Gohda paused, again as if expecting Rikimaru to say more in his defense. "You may go." He watched as Rikimaru rose silently and drifted out the door.

* * *

Rikimaru stole away from Gohda castle easily, not knowing where else to go. He couldn't go back to the healer's wing, not when the princess was on Ayame's bedside duty. No doubt would he be interrogated endlessly by the young teenager.

Rikimaru headed for the one place where he knew that he would be undisturbed with his thoughts. It was a place that he had used as a retreat for many years.

The Temple of Dreams loomed before him as he drew nearer, the magnificent spires rising up like jagged spikes. It was long abandoned since the time he was assigned to eradicate the Burning Dawn's ninja from it eight years ago. People avoided it, thinking that it was haunted by the evil spirits who lost their lives there. This was simply a rumor, but it gave Rikimaru a place for privacy and safe haven.

The temple was erected in the center of a small lake, giving it the image of a floating sanctuary. The lake was murky, many lily pads scattered across the dark surface. A tiny dock painted red extended across the lake, stretching from the mainland to the entrance of the temple. A torii gate towered above the dock, the wood and paint eroded by time and weather. The temple itself was a work of art, the tiles on the rooftops painted a deep red. There were three large floors, the rooftops' corners curling out like smoke. Traditional Japanese architecture.

Rikimaru passed under the torii gate and walked across the dock gazing at the waters beneath the planks. His reflection gazed up at him, mottled by the leaves and lily pads drifting across. He turned his gaze up at the temple's entryway, the once white walls now washed a dingy gray. The red posts that had once been almost a vibrant blood red had faded to a muted scarlet. Rikimaru was inside the main floors of the temple now, and he glanced at the small statues of deities lining the walls. Paintings spread across the dirty walls, still with their glory and dignity.

Rikimaru went over to a corner and pulled a cushion to the center of the room. Here, he knelt. Closing his eyes, he soaked in the silence around him. Thinking about peace and clarity, he tried to wipe away all thoughts in his mind. Try as he might, there was one thought that would not go away, and this time he wasn't surprised. _Ayame._

Giving up all together, Rikimaru opened his eyes and lay back on the extra cushions he had set around him. He gazed up through the gaps in the slats of wood above, up into the floors beyond. What was it about his partner that left him breathless? Her beauty was understandable, for even time to time he watched as Lord Gohda's guards gaze at her in wonderment. He had often mused that a blind man could have found her beautiful, just by the aura she gave off. Her moods were unpredictable, her attitude just as fickle. She was a talented ninja, learning everything that she had been taught with amazing quickness...though she never had the patience to fully master those teachings. Rikimaru had known her ever since Master Shiunsai had taken her in as his last student. They grew up side by side. So why didn't he feel _sisterly _feelings for her? Why, of all emotions, _these _feelings? It made it even more complicated and headache inducing.

_I'm simply human...but is that really an excuse? That is what we ninja have undergone training for...to close out those feelings that could jeopardize everything we were given no choice but to protect._

Rikimaru watched as dust particles spun in the air above him in a circular dance, sunlight casting them into view. His partner was truly an enigma. For years he had been living in this world where happiness was unheard of, where love was laughed at and scorned upon, and where killing was the norm. He ought to have been used to it by now. He was a ninja. But whenever he was with Ayame...the pull was strong. It was so unexplainable, so forbidden. He didn't love her just because she was pleasing to look at, heavens no. Rikimaru didn't know a thing about love, though he knew that it was so much more than that. He just didn't know what that 'so much more' was.

Outside, the skies darkened further and he thought he heard rain. Yes, it was rain...the soft pitter patter on the tiles like tears from the heavens. Rikimaru turned his head and looked out between the painted beams of the temple. The rain looked like silver drops, coming down at a steady pace and falling into the lake, leaving tiny spherical ripples that were dizzying to watch.

Rikimaru closed his eyes and pulled down the mask covering his nose and mouth, letting the fresh scent of rain and wet earth drift in towards him, lulling him into calm. He so rarely took it off in the presence of people and he might as well have been naked. Even here, all alone, he felt uncomfortable. He tugged his mask back up and lost himself in the maze of his thoughts.

Ayame was so headstrong that it was dangerous. Why exactly did he care for her? The past years had been nothing but receiving the full brunt of all sarcastic comments. Underneath his guise of a ninja, he was a man. He was twenty-six years old, with no interaction with women save for stealth killing the enemy kunoichi, and his partnership with Ayame. He had never experienced a kiss. Not that a kiss was what he so desperately sought after, hell, he didn't even expect kindness from anyone. But there was a part of him...some minuscule and empty part of him that searched for something that he couldn't name...

Ayame was a living and breathing reminder that there was some kind of beauty and justice in the world. Though she hardly revealed her true charm to him, he had observed her passionate side more than once. There were times when she was remotely kind to him, but those moments were like jewels. Hard to come across, but when one so happened to find one it was to be treasured. He could count these moments using his fingers. Death, sadness, desperation, and violence...Ayame was his constant reminder that there was a passionate flower amidst the unpleasantness. Perhaps that was why he held these emotions for her. He was amazed by her fierce loyalty to princess Kiku...nothing ever stood in the way between her and her 'little sister.'

In a way, Rikimaru and Ayame were both lonely and damaged property, used and broken countless times only to be reused and re-broken yet again. They were two nameless blooms drifting away in the wind, caught up by their duties.

_What would become of this newly discovered 'evil' in me? These complicated matters are what could be the end of any clan. Where does my destiny lie? In the one who I have sworn to protect...or in the one my heart has softened to? _

With these questions in mind, Rikimaru recalled his question he had asked a long time ago of Master Shiunsai.

"_Do you believe that a man can change his destiny?" Rikimaru had once asked out of pure curiosity._

_Master Shiunsai appeared to mull this over for a moment, his aging features creased with concentration. "I think a man does what he can until his destiny is revealed."

* * *

_

Ayame's eyes fluttered open._ Where am I?_ Her eyes slowly took in the ceiling, gazing at the lamp fixtures. _Those look like the ones in Gohda Castle..._ Her blurred vision turned towards the familiar surroundings...the futons...the sheets that bore the Gohda family crest...the shelves of supplies. Ayame frowned. She _was_ in Gohda Castle. _How did I get here?_

Judging from the harsh sunlight burning through the window, it was noon. She turned her head to the side more quickly than she had intended to, and a searing pain radiated from the back of her head and to her neck, continuing downwards with prickling heat. Ayame groaned, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the unsympathetic light. Her head felt like it was about to explode from the inside out.

"Ayame, you're awake!" Yukihoko said from somewhere in front of her. Ayame couldn't see, the blinding sunlight now positioned directly in her face. Yukihoko went over to the window and shut it completely, much to Ayame's relief. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like someone's been using my head as a drum...and not to mention, it feels like someone tried to sharpen their sword on my spine," Ayame groaned.

"Well, at least I know it's really you!" Yukihoko said, giving a relieved smile.

"Yukihoko-san, tell me...how did I get here? I don't remember anything after getting knocked out," Ayame asked, rubbing the back of her head gingerly. Was she a ghost? No, all this felt much too real.

"...You know, I think I hear someone calling for me. It must be Takazuru, who always seems to think that she's with child..." Yukihoko said hastily, walking to the door.

"Yukihoko! Do you really think I'll fall for something like that?"

Yukihoko stopped, her hand poised in midair while reaching for the door.

"Yukihoko-san. How did I get here?" Ayame repeated, this time more firmly.

"...Someone brought you here. Three guesses as to whom that person was," Yukihoko walked back to Ayame's futon, smoothing her kimono across her lap as she knelt down beside her. Ayame didn't even need one guess. Rikimaru! Instantly, Ayame felt an intense anger. It was _her _mission! And then, there was another part of her that was strangely glad that he cared for her enough to follow her...

_It was probably just his 'duty' to the clan. _Ayame's mind drifted to the night when he said that he had no choice but to care whether or not she got killed or injured.

"That baka followed me!" Ayame muttered, her hand instinctively balling up into a fist. With great difficulty, Ayame tried to get up, but barely succeeded in pulling herself up to a sitting position. She winced, her head feeling like something being grinded at the bottom of a mortar and pestle. Looking down, she realized that she was completely naked, save for the few thin bandages that wrapped around her midriff and her arms.

"Careful Ayame! That cut on your back was rather deep, you might bleed again!" Yukihoko said, trying to push Ayame back onto the futon.

"Where are my clothes?" Ayame asked, ignoring the healer.

"They were torn and I had to cut them off of you."

"I need some clothes. I don't think walking down the halls half naked would prove for kind gossip."

"Ayame! I forbid you to get up! You need your rest, for heaven's sake you just woke up after getting knocked out two days ago!"

"No, I just need to get to a place where I can be alone. Besides, I have to tell Lord Gohda what I've found out on the mission." The first reason was the truest. Ayame didn't plan on reporting to Lord Gohda until after her head didn't feel like a time bomb.

"Get better first, and then you can go wherever you want. Ayame, if you would just stop to think about your actions maybe you wouldn't be here so often!" Yukihoko's voice was pleading desperately now. "Why are you so angry every time Rikimaru tries to help you? Is it such a crime on his part?"

"He followed me when it wasn't even his mission!"

"So? Does that not mean _anything_ to you? Do you just dismiss it as if he is patronizing you? Does it hurt your pride _that _much?"

"What other reasons are there?" Ayame asked, her tone defiant.

"Ayame," Yukihoko said, shaking her head in clear disbelief. "I know you can figure that out without my help."

Ayame did not know how to interpret her words, almost fearing the worst. What was Yukihoko suggesting? That Rikimaru possibly cared about her in some unorthodox way? Ayame felt like laughing, but thought better of it. She did not want to give Yukihoko more reasons for her to be kept in the healer's wing. Instead, she let a steely calm come over her as she spoke her request again as calmly as she could. "Yukihoko-san, thank you for dressing my wounds. But I have to do this. I have to go to a place where I can be alone. I'm going out with this bed sheet if I have to."

"Why, Ayame? Why do you shut yourself up like this?" Yukihoko asked her.

Ayame gave Yukihoko a piercing look. "That is like asking why I do my job, why I am a ninja. I do it because I have to, because I have no other choice."

Ayame had a trained eye to see farther than the average person, yet she couldn't see what was plainly in front of her. The girl had to be blind. Yukihoko had already figured that Rikimaru cared for her...and here she was acting as though he enjoyed putting his life on the line to save hers just because he was 'patronizing' her! Yukihoko was silent for a minute, and then her aging face was overcome by a look of defeat. "I have an extra yukata here," she said as she rose and headed for the tiny closet tucked away in the corner of the wing. Extracting a simple powder green yukata from the shelves, she brought it to Ayame. Ayame took it and carefully inserted her arms through the sleeves. Steadying herself by putting a hand against the wall, she stood and tried to tie the simple obi around her waist. This simple action only caused her to grimace, but finally she made herself presentable enough to make it to her room without getting ogled at by the guards.

"Thank you, Yukihoko," Ayame said again. She turned towards the door and walked a few painful steps when Yukihoko's voiced called to her softly.

"The princess came earlier to see you, Ayame. She was very worried. She would not leave until Lord Gohda himself came to fetch her for her breakfast."

Ayame stopped in her tracks and looked down at the ground. She couldn't help but allow a small smile to escape over her lips. Kiku. She was always that shining light that never ceased to make her feel cheerful.

* * *

After a considerable amount of effort, Ayame found herself seated high atop Gohda Castle. She would report to Lord Gohda later...right now, her focus was on getting her thoughts straight. It was blessedly warm despite the fast darkening sky, and she rested herself against one of the two decorative fish statues adorning the uppermost tier. No one would be able to see her up here, they would only notice a lone shadow half obstructed by the ornamental statues.

A shadow. _That is what I am._

The throbbing in Ayame's head had reduced to a soft humming. The fresh air had done her some good. Ayame sighed and let the playful winds toy with her hair. She had made it easily through the castle halls without incident. Upon arriving at her room, Ayame changed into one of her older kunoichi kimono, one a shade of dark purple with an unadorned black obi.

_I have no family, I am all alone. Kiku is the only one whom I can call 'family,' and even she is part of my duty. I am her protector. The Azuma clan is where I belong...not that I had a choice._

Ayame sometimes wondered how it would be like if whatever had happened to her family had never come about. If Master Shiunsai had never found her and brought her into his training. If she had never become a ninja.

_Did I even have any sisters or brothers? Who were my mother and father? Would I have made a good wife? Would I have fallen in love or would I have been married off to a man beneficial to my family? Would I have been a good mother to my children? Would I have had children at all? _

Try as she might, Ayame couldn't picture herself as a housewife. She couldn't see herself waiting at home for her husband or working in the fields and rice paddies toiling away under the sun. The only images that flashed through her mind were of her killing enemies with nothing but a steely glint in her eye.

_Perhaps it was my destiny to become a ninja. A solitary blossom carried off by the waters, with no choice but to follow the current._

Ayame couldn't fight off those thoughts and dreams that she kept locked away in her heart. First and foremost, she was a woman. A woman who had been robbed of the life an ordinary woman should have had, blessed, or cursed, with the talent of one of the most feared female assassins in Japan. While many ninja killed solely for money, her clan had always killed for honor.

_I should be glad...but why aren't I?_

Ayame gazed up at the grayish black clouds huddled together overhead like ink spilled across paper, befitting to her dark mood. What was she most afraid of? Surely the cold and brash Azuma kunoichi had fears as well as hopes! Ah yes, there was the fear she had of being alone.

_I believe I am living my fears then. I am alone. _

The fear of a broken heart.

_Tatsumaru,_ her mind seemed to whisper again and again, like a mournful mantra. Yes, her heart had been broken once before, and once was definitely more than enough.

There was another fear that had just recently been added to the list. Her fear of _feeling_. Because the man that was now pushing his way into her thoughts was none other than Rikimaru. Her mind flitted to the night of her mission. She remembered blacking out, and then mysteriously awakening in the healer's wing of Gohda Castle.

_Rikimaru came to save me, the arrogant, silver-headed..._

Did she care about him? Well, what about Tatsumaru? _What about him? Was he ever there when I needed him the most? During the times that I felt like I couldn't talk to anybody? When I would say that I loved him, how he would pat me on the head and call me his little sister right after I practically revealed my heart to him?_

Rikimaru had always been there for her, though she didn't realize it at the time. He was there, yet she constantly pushed him away, shutting him out, never giving him a chance.

Perhaps she held Rikimaru responsible for Tatsumaru's death...which was ridiculous when she thought about it. If there was anyone to blame, it would have to be that Kagami woman. Ayame closed her eyes briefly. No, she would not let her mind think those thoughts. Blame wouldn't change anything, and neither would playing the 'what if?' game.

Even without realizing it, Ayame knew that Rikimaru had found his way into her heart. It was inexplicable, considering how she had spent these last years making a sport of being cold to her leader, her partner. It was almost as if it were her way of punishing him for that, though it hardly was in his control.

_So...who do I really care about?_

"Kami help me!" she yelled up at the sky. Several birds nearby took flight from her sudden outburst. Her words echoed back to her, mocking her. Almost instantly, as if on cue, rain started drizzling down just as Ayame felt two warm tears slip from the corners of her eyes. They were tears of frustration, sadness, anger, and shame. Ayame bit her lip trying to find a way to keep the tears where they belonged, but it didn't help matters much.

The rain came down lightly at first, but then heightened to a downpour. It was as if the heavens were crying with her. For a fleeting moment, Ayame believed it. She couldn't do anything but sit and watch the rain glaze the trees and glide across the tiles. The fish statues seemed to dance in the shower, happy that water had finally come.

The water was wonderfully warm, almost cleansing in the way that it dripped from her body in tiny rivulets. The salty ocean water leaked through her bandages and her cuts stung a little, but the pain was bearable.

She remained that way for awhile, letting the rain soak her hair and seep into her clothes, the warm drops sliding across her skin...and until she couldn't distinguish between her tears and the rain any longer.

* * *

**Author's note:**

I love The Last Samurai...I borrowed that 'destiny' quote in Rikimaru's thoughts. Lovely movie. For disclaimer's sake I don't own 'The Last Samurai.' Anyway, in this chapter the characters are obviously thinking about each other way more than usual. I hate writing about a character's thoughts...I can never arrange them in a way that makes sense. If anyone has any tips on improving, I would be indebted to you. Also, I have a question to ask...the story is supposed to come off as sort of "dark" in a sense that nothing is really happy about Rikimaru and Ayame's world...am I doing the "dark" part right? If I'm not, I'd like to know how I can improve.

By the way, Ayame is a rather stubborn woman...and so I have made it so that she struggles more with her own thoughts about Rikimaru. She's suffered a broken heart once already and that was already too much, so she's basically beating herself up more about it that she's almost going through it again. Rikimaru is wiser in the way that accepting these 'feelings' is easier than trying to fight them.

Oneesan- big sister

Baka- fool

Kami- god(s)

Next chapter: Rikimaru and Ayame engage in a violent physical battle and what they have been trying to hide for so long finally has a chance to reveal itself. Ayame informs Lord Gohda of the information she has gathered while on the mission...and Lord Mei-Oh and his minions observe that the 'prophecy' has indeed come true.

**As always, read and review please! Tell me what you think, whether it be good or bad it doesn't matter.**


	8. Chapter 7: The Flames of Fudo

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**Part II: Illumination**

**Last chapter:  
****Rikimaru and Ayame spend time away from each other, their thoughts conflicting and each eventually reach to the conclusion that they care about each other...more than is appropriate.**

**Chapter 7: The Flames of Fudo**

For two days, Rikimaru and Ayame avoided each other like the plague. In fact, they had literally not seen in each other at all. They were like opposite magnets being forced apart.

That was until the third day.

Ayame stood in the center of the second dojo that they had, the one tucked away in the forests just behind Gohda Castle. Her swords were drawn and positioned in front of her, poised and ready to strike at an imaginary enemy. She had completely disregarded Yukihoko's instructions to stay in her bed and wait until her wounds were fully healed before practicing, thus here she was in this hidden dojo. Yukihoko would never find her here, or anyone else for that matter...except for...Rikimaru.

This time, his name didn't flare up inside of her like an angry fire. This time, it was just sadness.

_What am I going to do now? What **can **I do?_

There was so much she wanted to say...yet nothing that was appropriate for their kind of relationship. What was she supposed to tell him? Should she talk to him about it? Or maybe just try to continue without letting him know?

Ayame realized that she was not alone in the dojo. His presence glowed brightly somewhere behind her, almost tauntingly, conjured by her thoughts. Slowly, she reached into the pouch in her belt, fingering the sharp edges of the lone shuriken there.

_I don't need Rikimaru. I don't need anyone._

Ayame's mind would not admit defeat, her pride denying Rikimaru to the very end. Her fingers closed around the shuriken, discreetly freeing it from the confines of her pouch. She didn't know exactly what she was doing…but a good fight never failed to clear her mind. She just hoped she was making the right decision this time.

* * *

Rikimaru watched Ayame train from the entryway of the dojo. She was clad in her normal black top and pants, her midriff and back bandaged. Her arms were wrapped too, the white cloth peeking out from under her bracers, and her left thigh. He admired how determined she was, yes, but half of him wanted to drag her back to the healer's wing. He could see the unsteadiness in her movements, the injury in her back straining her ability. She was beautiful, but much too stubborn for her own good. If there was one thing that hadn't changed since when she was young, it was her obstinate demeanor. Rikimaru was reminded again that this trait was exactly why he loved her.

Suddenly, Rikimaru heard the whistle of steel as a silver object came flying towards him with deadly speed. He moved away at the last minute, automatically drawing his sword. The shuriken imbedded itself deep into the wood of the entrance with a dull thud, in the place where he was leaning just seconds before.

"Have you come here to fight or simply to make sure I don't hurt myself?" Ayame asked bitterly, her words hanging heavily in the air like fog. Rikimaru removed the shuriken from the frame and turned to look at her. Ayame's face was hard, staring at him with eyes full of loathing. Her mouth was set in a thin line instead of in her usual trademark smirk. Her hands were clenched so tightly around her blades that her knuckles were white as bone. She took a step to the side, watching Rikimaru like a prey she was to stalk.

"Ayame, you don't have to react this way," Rikimaru said as calmly as he could, circling and mirroring her movements. He held Izayoi protectively out in front of him. He didn't know why he came here in the first place, almost expecting something like this to happen. His feet seemed to carry him here against his will. _I guess I asked for it._

"Just shut up and fight!" Ayame hissed impatiently. She closed the gap between them with a front flip, and then crouched and slashed for Rikimaru's legs. Rikimaru jumped and dodged to the side, trying to put more distance between them. Ayame chased after him, relentlessly slashing with her swords, her blades creating a tornado of sparks and silver. Rikimaru barely deflected all of them with Izayoi- she was much too quick. Rikimaru contemplated about fighting back, but that would spur her on even more. If he didn't...that would be just asking for an assailment of verbal attacks which were just as cutting as Ayame's physical attacks. Either option ended unpleasantly...

"That cut on your back-"

"You can stop pretending to care now," Ayame spat out, cutting him off abruptly, "I know you're just doing it for the good of the clan! If there were more members, you would have gotten rid of me a long time ago!" She stood a safe distance away from where he was, her blades still at the ready. Her eyes were literally an inferno.

Rikimaru looked at her in puzzlement. Ayame's tone was utter poison, and underlying it he thought he could detect something like pain...

"That's not true," Rikimaru said quietly.

"Oh isn't it? You hate me and I hate you so how about we just settle this here once and for all?"

Rikimaru stared at her, stunned. He was also frightened. Did Ayame really believe that he hated her? She was putting words in his mouth. He had never seen her so worked up about something like this, not since they had discovered Tatsumaru's fate what seemed so long ago.

"Ayame, you're not thinking clearly."

"Just shut up and fight me!" Ayame attacked again. Shocked, Rikimaru blocked instinctively. She had abandoned all technique whatsoever, and she seemed intent on shedding his blood. Her blows did not have that usual refinement to them, instead throwing them out as powerfully as she could. Ayame's sword came flying towards his torso in the middle of these thoughts and he was pushed back, his sword swinging in front of him defensively. Showers of sparks emitted from their clashed swords each time.

Ayame aimed higher with her blades, going straight for Rikimaru's neck. Sidestepping, he blocked, more forcefully than he had meant and he watched as the tip of his sword sliced through the patch of skin unprotected by armor on her upper arm.

Time appeared to move in slow motion as Ayame staggered backwards, looking at her arm in disbelief first, shock, and then finally, unadulterated fury. She touched her fingers to the lesion, as if to check that it was real. She winced as she felt the torn skin and as blood coated her fingertips. Her eyes raged with a fire as her mouth set in a grim line and, was it just his imagination or were her swords flashing red?

"Ayame, I-" Rikimaru tried to apologize, holding up both his hands in surrender.

Ayame kicked for his jaw, interrupting him. Her foot cuffed him slightly, leaving behind a dull throbbing pain that did nothing to purge the shame he had for carelessly cutting his partner. He ignored it and pushed with his sword against Ayame's, sparks flying upon contact. Suddenly he felt his back hit the dojo wall. He was cornered.

Ayame was coming towards him fast, and soon she was upon him. Her arms swung out from both sides, Rikimaru barely able to block them. He pushed Ayame's right sword away, and just as he did he felt her left sword connect with his shoulder, giving him an identical cut that matched hers. He gave a grunt as he kicked Ayame's legs out from under her and used this moment to move away from the dojo wall and out into open space.

Rikimaru examined his cut, watching warily as Ayame jumped to her feet. She had never intentionally tried to hurt him before, and perhaps that fact was adding to the pain. His own strike had been one of defense, and he had not tried to hurt her offensively.

The slash was shallow, slicing only through his thin shirt and the upper layer of skin. He could see only the glistening red tissue, no bone. It was just a normal graze, and that was why it was so strange when Rikimaru experienced a sudden burning sensation emitting from the wound. He clutched at it, alarmed. The burning feeling spread through his body, and it seemed to dissolve within him. Whatever it was disappeared instantly. It was definitely not like anything he had felt before.

"Ayame, what did you-?" Rikimaru began angrily. He looked up and here he cut himself off. Ayame wasn't looking at him; she was looking at her blades in bewilderment and amazement. Across the sharp steel of her twin swords crawled orange-red flames. Rikimaru thought it was his mind playing tricks on him until he saw the tiny tongues of flame reflected in Ayame's eyes.

They burned briefly before extinguishing, leaving no trace that they were ever present.

"What happened...?" she mumbled more to herself than to Rikimaru. Apparently she was just as perplexed as he was. Ayame looked up at him and realized that he was watching her. Immediately her look of confusion cleared, and in its place was a glare carved of ice. She stepped carefully to the right, watching as Rikimaru stepped to his left. The two were both on their guard again.

"Are you eventually going to get to the reason why you followed me on _my_ mission or do I have to ask?" she asked, irritated, deliberately stressing _'my_._'_ Her gaze could have shattered glass. For now, the matter with her flaming blades could wait. Her mind was still set in battle mode.

Rikimaru was quiet. _Should I tell her?_

"You should have left me. It was my mission...I should have suffered the consequences!"

"You could have died!"

"So? It's not as if I would be horribly missed!"

Rikimaru hesitated. "Yes, you would."

"Yeah? And by who?" Ayame thought that her voice was a little too hopeful. _So what if he doesn't really care about me? I've gone with a broken heart all these years and look at how I am now._ Ayame smirked at her bad example.

"Kiku-hime." _And I, _Rikimaru bit his tongue to keep from adding his last thought.

"Who told you to follow me? You had no right to do so!"

"As the leader of the Azuma ninja, I have a responsibility to keep track of the member's mission work." Rikimaru took another step at the same time that Ayame did.

"Are you saying that you don't trust me?" Ayame was newly enraged.

"No, I am merely saying that I was doing my duty when I followed you."

"Let me guess, did Lord Gohda send you on this 'duty'? Or did you both plan this?"

Rikimaru hesitated. How would she react if she told him the truth? _Well, there's no turning back now._ "I followed you on my own choice."

This caught Ayame off guard. She halted in her circling and turned to fully look at him. "What?"

"The choice to follow you was all mine," Rikimaru sighed, "Lord Gohda did not tell me to do anything."

"...Why?" Ayame looked wary.

"I- I was frightened for you."

"...Again, why? Is it because if I die, then you'd be the only living Azuma ninja? Is that it?" Ayame asked. She shook her head scathingly. "Why do I even ask?"

_Because I care for you...more than I should...more than you could ever know, _Rikimaru thought. He closed his eyes as if to lock away the thought there, and when he opened them, the sight of a very angry Ayame greeted him.

When Rikimaru didn't answer, Ayame darted forward and swung her arm around like a whip, knocking Izayoi out of Rikimaru's hands with a loud clang. The fact that he gave no effort in trying to defend himself hurt her so much that Ayame couldn't understand it. _I'm such a fool to think that he could care._

Rikimaru stared at her evenly, not paying attention to Ayame's quivering arm holding the sword just centimeters from his neck. He looked straight into her eyes, unafraid, trying to find some reasoning behind these rash actions. Ayame hid them well.

Rikimaru could hear Ayame's breath coming out in short and angry gasps. He made no move to pick up Izayoi lying at his feet.

"You _let_ me win! You purposely stood there and allowed me to disarm you! Pick up your weapon and fight fairly...don't hold back on me!" Ayame said, tone strained and angst-ridden.

Rikimaru stood motionlessly. Upon her face, he could see a look of torture so great that he could feel it resonating from her freely like a fragrance. There was torture, there was sadness, there was anger...and there was shame there too.

"PICK IT UP!" Ayame screeched, the veins and muscles around her neck clearly visible with her effort. She brandished her one sword menacingly in Rikimaru's direction. Again, Rikimaru made no move to retrieve Izayoi. Frustrated and with an animal-like growl, Ayame tossed her sword backwards and threw several quick punches in his direction. Ayame was just as dangerous without her swords, if not doubly dangerous. Two of her punches landed square in the center of Rikimaru's stomach. He grabbed her fist on the last one and pushed her away, redirecting her momentum as he kicked at her legs. She fell to the ground and rolled away, her hand reaching for her sword. Ayame jumped up and pointed her sword at Rikimaru.

"Is that all you've got?" she taunted, in a voice that made it seem as though Ayame could have gone on fighting until the next day. Her body language betrayed that; Rikimaru noticed fresh blood blooming from the bandages tied around her arms. Her body was moist with sweat, and her position was slightly bowed, hindered by her injuries. The cut that Rikimaru had given her on her upper arm had stopped bleeding, although the congealing blood made sticky trails around her shoulder.

"Ayame, stop. What is wrong with you?" It hurt him to see her like this, confused and to the point of breaking. He knew that a person could take only so much before they literally snapped. People could be like time bombs, some waiting for a certain event to trigger the explosion. This was the trigger. The only person who had anchored Ayame down and who had warded off an earlier explosion was the princess, her little sister, Kiku.

And now, it dawned on Rikimaru that the person who anchored _him _down was standing right before him.

"I don't know. You tell me," she said sadly, her arm wavering. Rikimaru took this as his chance. Stepping forward, he knocked the sword out of Ayame's hand and kicked it out of her reach. Ayame growled with rage and threw a kick for Rikimaru's stomach. He grabbed her leg easily and pushed her away, but Ayame recovered by throwing a back kick instead. This Rikimaru blocked and prepared to do what he hoped he wouldn't resort to doing.

Rearing his shoulder back, Rikimaru waited as Ayame charged for him. She was close now and Rikimaru threw himself forward. He felt his shoulder connect solidly with Ayame's midriff, sending Ayame toward the far wall of the dojo. Rikimaru ran towards her just as she slid down from the wall, groaning. She staggered to the side, doubled over and gasping for breath, one hand clutching at her heaving chest while the other touched her back gingerly. Ayame bent lower, and when she stood back up, a wooden bokken was in her hand. Rikimaru sighed wearily. Ayame was no quitter that was for sure. He had to hand it to her...enemies that were unlucky enough to experience his shoulder thrust usually never got back up, much less with a weapon and the courage to go for another round.

Rikimaru wasted no time in kicking the bokken out of her hand. Finally, he had disarmed her, the volatile Ayame, the woman who was just as mystifying as the true meaning of life. It astounded him how Ayame could have the sting of a scorpion, the cut of ice, and the burn of fire all at once. Ayame gave a frustrated snarl as Rikimaru wrestled her arms to her sides, pinning her against the wall. Ayame tried pushing against him roughly, but Rikimaru was no easy man to push, much less with her arms trapped behind her back. Instead, she stared up at him in defiance, feeling herself lose everything in the two amber orbs fixed upon her.

"Do you have a death wish, Ayame? Continue acting this way and maybe it'll come true," Rikimaru said to her, more harshly than he had intended to. Ayame didn't react, her look of defiance replaced by a strange look of nonchalance. Her eyes looked dead, staring off somewhere over Rikimaru's shoulder. There was nothing there.

Rikimaru sighed. Obviously she wasn't listening to him.

"You don't understand," Ayame croaked, closing her eyes. He would never understand what she was feeling. She didn't _want _to die...or maybe she did, Ayame couldn't even find a solid thought that could express how she felt. Dimly, she was aware of her back throbbing anew, her headache returning at full force. There was another thing too…she realized how closely their bodies were pressed together…his body warmth was so sinfully comforting.

Rikimaru looked down at her, his eyes tracing over her features. Her face was as flawlessly pale as ever, despite their intense sparring. Her hair was slightly tousled with several strands plastered to her face from sweat. The cut on her arm had started to bleed again, painting much of her arm a grisly red. Blood bloomed from under her other bandages like spilled ink.

Rikimaru then did something that he would never have done in any other situation. Releasing Ayame's hands from his grip, he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. He looped his arms around her loosely, tenderly, his arms moving up and down her slender waist and back, his hands stopping to rest gingerly against the wound on the small of her back. He felt Ayame struggle against him slightly, and then she simply gave up, letting her body go slack against his. She rested her head against his chest and breathed in his scent, her arms timidly moving up to rest around his shoulders. His arms felt like they belonged there, so strong and muscular but so gentle now that they were draped around her. The heat radiating from his hands on her wound was soothing, chasing away the pain.

_He doesn't care about me…he HAS to care…_Ayame thought resentfully. Why did she even hold any hope?

There were a million thoughts racing through Rikimaru's mind, but being this close to Ayame was starting to muddle with his senses. Her scent was overpowering, and the softness of her form seemed to melt into his hard one.

If they couldn't have more than this one moment, Rikimaru thought it was more than enough just to hold her like this. Neither of them moved for a long time, both wallowing in astonishment at how their bodies seemed to fit together…also forgetting their roles for the time being. For now, they weren't ninja. They were people.

They must have made for an odd sight; two partners who had just done 'practice fighting' were drenched in sweat, their old wounds bleeding along with several new and fresh ones, and here they stood locked in an embrace after what had seemed like a match to the death.

Rikimaru was the first to break the blissful silence. "Ayame, I've been meaning to tell you something…," Rikimaru whispered down to her hesitantly, as if still wondering whether to go along with his thoughts. This was his one and only chance. It wouldn't matter if she still hated his very presence in the end, but at least she would know. If he didn't tell her now, he'd be living in his tangled web of emotions turned tangled web of lies. She stayed so still in his arms that at first he thought she was asleep.

"I'm listening," she said at last, expecting the worst. He would tell her to get a grip on herself, to be more careful next time. This was all just a ploy…

Ayame was suddenly increasingly bitter. _Well what was I expecting? Mind your place…I am a ninja…nothing more._

"The real reason that I followed you on your mission was to keep you alive...not because of my duty, but because...because I care about you, more than I should." Rikimaru paused, contemplating whether to go to through with his thoughts. The words felt utterly foreign on his tongue, and he was having a hard time making them come out the way he wanted them to. "I-I love you." Rikimaru closed his eyes and waited for an explosive reaction from Ayame.

It didn't come.

Instead, Rikimaru felt a soft breeze blow across his face as his mask was tugged down. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see two large mahogany orbs staring up at him…and for the first time he saw that they weren't ablaze with rage.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she whispered. For once, her tone wasn't glazed with ice. Was there a trace of amusement in her tone?

Rikimaru looked at her in shock. This wasn't the reply he was expecting, that was for sure. "Ayame...? You're not...?"

"We've done enough talking already," she whispered impatiently. Her fingertips moved up his broad chest, drifted across his cheek, ruffling through his strange and silvery hair. Being this close to him, Ayame realized just how handsome he was. She had seen him maskless on several occasions, but she was never this close. Her heart was beating rapidly, thumping loudly in her chest as she rose to the tips of her toes, Rikimaru being a full head taller than her, her face moving closer to his.

Their lips met in a timid and tiny kiss that lasted briefly before the two pulled back, gazing at each other as if in a new light. It was a foreign sensation to both of them, and it was exhilarating.

"Are you sure?" Rikimaru murmured into her ear, his lips gliding across the sensitive spot on her neck where her collarbone dipped. His arms tightened around her almost possessively and he pressed a small kiss on her soft skin. God why did she have to be so alluring? The words _wrong_ and _sinful_ echoed in his mind irritatingly like a mantra.

"More than anything," Ayame mumbled, reveling in the tremors spreading across each area where Rikimaru's lips rested. Rikimaru tipped her chin up gently with a finger and they kissed again. Rikimaru closed his eyes in bliss, letting instinct take over completely, pushing all thoughts from his mind. Ayame parted her lips slightly, allowing Rikimaru to dart his tongue inside for a taste, deepening the kiss. Rikimaru was amazed at how soft Ayame's lips were, and the feel of her combined with her intoxicating taste was driving him insane.

_She tastes cool…_

Suddenly, Rikimaru felt as if his vision had exploded. Sparks of bright, white light flashed behind his closed eyelids, blinding him. A warm sensation coursed through his veins running up and down the length of his body and he couldn't move, his feet rooted to the ground while his arms were locked around his partner. Warmth radiated from behind his right eye, the one that bore his scar.

They pulled away from the kiss, panting, their chests heaving as though they had been running.

"Did-did you feel that?" Ayame stuttered, recovering from the feeling as though it were an earth-shattering quake. She shifted her body against his, repositioning her head against his chest, the rhythmic beat of his heart lulling her into a muted drowsiness.

"Yeah…" Rikimaru said, dazed, trying to still the shockwaves that echoed across his body. He pressed Ayame tighter to him, protectively, still puzzling over what he had experienced. Now that he thought about it, it was similar to the ones that he had felt when he had touched her arm during the bandits mission…and when she had been in the healer's wing…and when she had cut him. Rikimaru's mind was also still buzzing after the kiss that they had just shared.

Ayame too was trying to find some explanation behind these strange happenings. What were they? Did it have something to do with the fire that she had seen on her blades earlier? Ayame didn't get to finish these thoughts because she suddenly noticed that her vision was swimming. Before she knew it, she felt something warm slide down her cheek. She was crying. But for the first time in a long while, Ayame cried not out of grief or misery…but out of happiness. It was a feeling that she was hardly familiar with, but hell did it feel good.

Rikimaru noticed her crying as he felt a warm wetness on his chest. "Ayame?" he asked, alarmed, tipping her chin up gently. Ayame gave a small laugh.

"God you were the last person I thought I'd fall for," Ayame said. "I hate you…and I love you."

"Is that a good thing?" Rikimaru asked hesitantly as he reached up and brushed away a tear rolling down the side of her face. Her cheek was soft, the skin dimpling easily at his gentle touch.

Ayame reached up and kissed him again, pulling away teasingly as Rikimaru deepened the kiss. "Is that good enough of an answer for you?"

Rikimaru's cheeks turned a slight tinge of pink which did not go unnoticed by Ayame.

They stood wrapped in each other's arms for a bit longer, and then Rikimaru spoke.

"We should get back to the castle…" he mumbled against her sweet smelling hair. Rikimaru felt quite the opposite. He wasn't quite ready to leave this solitary moment of peace and happiness. He was still shocked beyond belief. She felt the same about him!

"Right," Ayame said, pulling away from the protective haven of his arms reluctantly. She could have stayed there for eternity, but her role as ninja called for otherwise. She winced as she turned around, the wound on her back trickling fresh blood through the bandages.

"Are you all right?" Rikimaru asked, concerned.

Ayame smiled at him. "Some bruised ribs, a cut shoulder, and a reopened back wound...nothing that I can't handle."

* * *

"It is true, then." Lord Mei-Oh announced as he gazed down at his followers, still as a fiery emerald sphere. Onikage knelt at his right, red eyes watching the other servants gathered before the Lord of Hell.

"So, this girl has some kind of…power?" Lady Shizuka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I would have detected something in her!" Seikou, the priestess, mused.

"The power has slept within her, waiting for the right time to reveal itself." Lord Mei-Oh said.

"What kind of power is it, exactly?" Lady Shizuka asked. The others around her seemed to grow more attentive.

"Her power is none other than the Flames of Fudo."

"The cleansing fire?" Seikou said skeptically, "It isn't really of concern unless…" Seikou suddenly gasped and her words trailed off.

"Unless coupled with the dark power called Dohjutsu, which our Rikimaru has…" Lord Mei-Oh finished. "It has awoken in her, and as we have seen, darkness and fire have united."

"United?" the word buzzed about the group.

"Rikimaru and Ayame are one now, whether they have realized that their powers have joined or not. They are in love." Lord Mei-Oh's voice quivered with amusement. Love. Such a petty emotion. Already he was scheming to exploit this…weakness…

"Two ninjas in love," Shizuka scoffed.

"The two are linked far beyond just 'love', I hadn't noticed it before…it only became more prominent now…" Lord Mei-Oh said. This was true. He had foreseen something of the sort to happen, but prediction was far off compared to the real thing. He had seen that the Azuma kunoichi possessed some kind of…ability…but he hadn't known that it would be this potent.

"But-but why didn't you have us kill her sooner? Dohjutsu and the Flames of Fudo combined is enough to destroy all of us…to destroy you!"

"Her power is strong, but likely she doesn't know how to wield it. We can use her power for many things…the main one being to bring me into a physical form."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Dun, dun, dun! So now you have a tiny explanation of the Flames of Fudo! There will be a better explanation in a later chapter As for the Rikimaru/Ayame…you knew it was coming. I'm the biggest Riki/Aya shipper out there so of course this is a Riki/Aya story! Whee…anyway, sorry for the long update…lotsa things have been going on. Thank you for your amazing reviews so far. I would like to say that now that Riki/Aya are together, it will be insanely fluffy. Sadly not, Lord Mei-Oh and his crew always have to screw things up…next chapter soon…hopefully sooner than I got this one out…

I apologize for some weird errors that you may come across. If some of them are particularly difficult to understand, please tell me so. Review and tell me what you think please.


	9. Chapter 8: Doubt

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**Part II: Illumination**

**Last chapter:**

**Rikimaru and Ayame confess after a violent physical battle, Lord Mei-Oh takes recognition of the two ninjas' union and Ayame's power.**

**Upload Date: 8/12/09**

**Chapter 8: Doubt**

"What the devil did you try to do to your arm?" a very frustrated Yukihoko admonished Rikimaru as soon as her eyes had rested on the dried blood coating the side of his arm. Before going to Lord Gohda, Rikimaru and Ayame reluctantly agreed that their wounds could not be left ignored, not to mention that they would be chewed up even more by Yukihoko if they waited longer to have their injuries treated. Besides, the fact that the both of them were sporting mysterious injuries when they hadn't been assigned on a mission would hardly go unnoticed by Lord Gohda. It would have eventually led to an explanation about their "relationship" that neither ninja was ready to give. "It looks as if someone cut you _and _burned you! Either that or you tried to cauterize the cut!"

"I'm afraid the first choice rather matches the situation," Rikimaru answered as scenes from the fight with Ayame drifted across his mind. "I'm not really sure what happened."

Yukihoko gave a sigh and led Rikimaru to one of the futons. "Sit." She turned to Ayame and inspected the freshly bleeding wound on her back.

"What were you two doing? I don't think I even want to know," Yukihoko muttered as she led Ayame to the futon next to Rikimaru and went over to her shelves, quickly gathering bowls, vials filled with pungent liquid, and rolls of cloth.

"We were practicing," Ayame answered simply.

"Did I not tell you to stay in bed until you've had a good amount of rest?" Yukihoko asked, failing to keep her tone annoyance free.

"You might have mentioned it…" Ayame said after pausing as if trying to remember. As she said this, her lips twitched slightly, the corners turning up and making for a tiny smile. Yukihoko looked at her incredulously. Ayame seemed oddly...happy. The only times Yukihoko had seen Ayame this content was when she was with princess Kiku. She was hardly this agreeable when the princess wasn't around, much less when Rikimaru was in the vicinity.

Yukihoko shot a glance in Rikimaru's direction. He too was acting differently. He didn't have his tense demeanor like he usually had when Ayame was nearby. He seemed calm, and he was regarding Ayame with a different kind of look, one that could almost be described as gentleness. His shoulders weren't hunched up, but rather loose and lower than they usually were. Of course, Yukihoko was a professional. Perhaps any other person looking at these two would hardly have noticed something, unless they searched long enough.

"There's no use hiding something from me, you two," Yukihoko said as she stood between them, looking from Ayame to Rikimaru and back and forth repeatedly. "I can see it."

Both Rikimaru and Ayame shifted uncomfortably on their futons. It was an amusing sight to see the two ninja clearly caught off guard when they usually were the ones in control of a situation.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ayame said, turning away.

"You lie just as bad as you are trying to hide your discomfort. Both of you." Here Yukihoko paused and let her words hang in the air before continuing again. "At any rate, I won't tell Lord Gohda."

Ayame flicked her eyes quickly toward Yukihoko. "...Why not?" she asked cautiously. Rikimaru regarded the healer with curious eyes, choosing to remain quiet.

"Everyone has secrets." The healer moved to tend to Ayame's back, a roll of cloth and bowl of water in hand. She lifted the back of the kunoichi's blood soaked shirt and began cleaning the wound.

"Thank you," Ayame muttered quietly, turning to face the healer and performing a small bow. Rikimaru did the same.

Yukihoko nodded and pushed Ayame gently to make her face forward again. "Besides," she began, "Lord Gohda has enough to worry about with the village attacks. Are you going to tell the princess?" Yukihoko cut some cloth and laid it aside, then began applying a thick cream to the newly cleaned cut. Ayame winced as she felt the sting of the ointment, but otherwise stayed still, thinking about her answer.

"Maybe." Ayame smiled slightly at the idea of sharing this not so little secret with her "little sister."

Yukihoko nodded, tugging Ayame's shirt back in place. She quickly cleaned and dressed the wound on Ayame's arm and then moved over to tend to Rikimaru.

"This looks so strange...I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before," Yukihoko muttered, inspecting Rikimaru's wound. "Really, it looks like someone cut you with a...sword fresh from the blacksmith's fires. It was a sword, right? Who did this to you?"

Ayame cleared her throat, and Yukihoko looked over to see a sheepish expression take hold of her features. "You did this to him? Ayame, although I'm very curious about your reasoning, I'll save that question for later. Right now I want to know how in the world you did this!"

"I'm still asking myself that," Ayame answered truthfully, remembering how she had glanced down at her swords, shocked senseless to see fire emerge from nowhere, licking across the steel. She had briefly forgotten about the incident in her crazed rage against Rikimaru. "We were practicing, and then I saw flames appear on my blades and...I don't know. Maybe I imagined it."

"No," Rikimaru said, finally speaking, "I saw it too."

"Flames?" Yukihoko had a strange look on her face, as though she had just realized something. "Like...no, it can't be. It's a myth," she muttered quietly to herself.

"What do you mean 'It's a myth'?" Ayame asked.

"There's something called 'The Flames of Fudo,' an ancient myth about the fires that tried to purge Japan of all its evil. They say that one person is bestowed the power, but only in the event of great evil. I don't know much of it, it's more of an old wife's tale if anything."

Ayame and Rikimaru were quiet for several moments. The silver headed ninja was the one who spoke up first. "There's nothing else that explains it...do you know who might be able to tell us more about it?"

"No, I'm afraid not...there must be some other explanation for it..." Yukihoko looked skeptical though as she finished her thought. Could it be real? Unless there was some other power that caused mysterious flames to erupt across one's weapons, which she highly doubted. "Is this the first time that something like that happened?"

Ayame nodded.

"Actually there might be someone you could talk to. The old monks in the temples know a good deal about ancient myths."

The kunoichi sighed. It seemed like answers were going to have to wait for now. "Thanks Yukihoko."

"We better go. Ayame, Lord Gohda is waiting for your report about the villagers," Rikimaru said.

Ayame looked at him suddenly, with the strangest expression on her face. It was as though she suddenly realized something...and from the look of it, that something wasn't very good.

"Ayame?" Rikimaru initially thought that she was still angry about the fact that he had followed her on her mission. The look on her face was gone, and instead she turned away to give Yukihoko a smile.

"Thank you," Ayame said quietly, standing up with ease, the pain in her back barely noticeable. Rikimaru did the same and followed behind her.

Yukihoko shut the shoji door behind them and leaned against the wall.

_Kids. _Yukihoko had been with them for so long, watching as Ayame developed a bitingly sarcastic persona while Rikimaru became stoic and seemingly emotionless, watching as they grew and matured. Yet in her eyes, she could still see their young teenaged selves, buried deep under the hardened assassins they were now.

Despite her initial frustration with Ayame's stubbornness and the couple's sudden mysterious attitude, Yukihoko couldn't help but allow a smile to appear on her lips.

* * *

Rikimaru and Ayame were silent as they ascended the stairs leading to the floor where Lord Gohda's study was located. Ayame walked beside him with brisk and quick steps, having no problem keeping up with his long strides. He snuck a sideways glance in her direction. She seemed troubled. He knew because of the way her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her lips set in the tiniest of pouts so that only he could notice that something was wrong.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Rikimaru asked after several moments of silence.

Ayame stopped walking abruptly and faced him. "I had forgotten all about the mission...all I could think about was how you saved me. That was it. I wasn't even thinking about the villagers!" Ayame whispered, her eyes looking at everywhere and everything but him. "How is this going to work?"

"Ayame, you took a serious blow to the head and you were unconscious for two days. What do you expect?"

She shook her head. She wanted to believe it, she really did. _I've had worse happen to me, and something like that never slipped from my mind for a second._ She had a question that was just waiting to jump off the tip of her tongue, but somehow she held it in check. It wasn't the most appropriate thing to say, at least not right now. Instead, Ayame gave a shake of her head, her messy ponytail making a tiny breeze on her neck. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Then we'll talk about it later," Rikimaru said and continued walking. He stopped once he noticed that Ayame wasn't walking beside him.

"Rikimaru, do you think about me on missions?" the kunoichi suddenly blurted out, the burning question escaping from her lips before she could stop herself.

The silver haired ninja thought about this for a moment. If he said no, he would be lying. But if he said yes, he would be admitting to himself and to Ayame that he wasn't always completely focused on his missions. He was human.

"...Sometimes," he eventually replied.

Ayame smiled in relief. But there was a part of her that felt horrible...how could she be happy that Rikimaru wasn't totally focused on his missions? He was destined to be a legend, the ninja who had brought down the Lord of Hell, helped end the reign of the Burning Dawn, and had defeated Tenrai. She couldn't believe that she was doing this. She didn't want to ruin him.

"Stop it. Don't think about me. I don't want to be distracting you during missions."

"It's not that simple Ayame," Rikimaru said, though smiling slightly behind his mask. He was forgetting how difficult she could be, but he was surprised by how he didn't seem to mind it this time. He was even starting to like every frustrating second of it. Still, the weighty thought of what they were doing felt both right and wrong at the same time. He couldn't kick the thought out of his mind about how they were partners, and what consequences their situation might bring when they were on a mission.

The sound of Ayame's sigh brought him back from his thoughts, and together they walked toward Lord Gohda's study.

* * *

Rikimaru and Ayame seated themselves before Lord Gohda in his study.

"Ah, Ayame, feeling better I presume?" Lord Gohda asked genuinely, a kind smile on his aging face.

"Yes Lord Gohda, much better, thank you. I have news from the mission," Ayame began instantly, the mission's happenings flooding into her mind. "The villagers were taken to another place. In the village, I noticed that the ninja bore the mark of Lord Kojuro."

Lord Gohda gazed at her questioningly. "Lord Kojuro?" Rikimaru looked equally as surprised. "I hardly doubt that Lord Kojuro would do something as such..."

All three of them knew that the lord was notorious for drowning himself in the luxuries such as money, women, food, and fine clothing. To Lord Kojuro, these four were the only things that mattered. Though he was an indulgent man, he wasn't desperate. It was uncharacteristic of Lord Kojuro to do something as daring as ordering ninja to invade villages for no apparent reason.

"There must be someone else behind all this. I want both of you to go and see if the villagers were taken there, or if you can get any more information."

"Yes, there must be…I remember a woman in the village. She seemed out of place though, her clothes were different," Ayame said.

Lord Gohda sat up straighter. "What was her name?"

"I don't know, she never said. Our meeting was brief, she disappeared and her ninja attacked me."

"Thank you Ayame. Perhaps we will gain more answers when both of you return."

Rikimaru flicked his eyes over to where Ayame sat, watching her expression. She only nodded at Lord Gohda's reply.

"Lord Gohda, I apologize for my lateness in reporting this to you. I...I was not myself after I woke up."

"If this were any other time, I would have punished you for this. Punctuality in reports is most critical, particularly in this situation," Lord Gohda sighed. "But, there's nothing we can do about this now. There have been no reports of any happenings in Kojuro Province so perhaps we are not too late."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**First of all, I'd like to apologize to my very patient readers! I abandoned this story for so long that I had to do some digging to find my old password and email so that I could log back in XD But hey! I came back! I don't want to blog about how busy I was/am on here, but I might start a blog later. I'll put the link up in my profile. I know this was a short chapter but the next one will be long and action packed I promise. There will be some new characters to look forward to so stay tuned! **

**And about Ayame's being late to reporting to Lord Gohda about the villagers...it's true that if it were any other situation, Ayame pretty much screwed up the lives of those villagers. That is IF they were taken to Kojuro Province, which they weren't. Lord Kojuro only offered up his ninja to help along with the collection and transportation of villagers somewhere else...Just wanted to clear that up, I don't want anyone thinking I made Ayame super irresponsible or anything.**

**As always, review and let me know how I'm doing! Is my writing rusty? I haven't written in so long!**


	10. Chapter 9: Gohda Castle

**Tenchu: The Flames of Fudo**

**Part II: Illumination**

**Last chapter: Rikimaru and Ayame talk to Yukihoko and get some information about Ayame's mysterious "power." Ayame also updates Lord Gohda on the information she gathered on her mission.**

**Upload Date: 5/13/13**

**Chapter 9: Gohda Castle**

Rikimaru knelt on the floor of the dojo sharpening his sword when he heard the sliding door open. Ayame walked in, followed by Kiku. Semimaru trailed behind them, giving a small yelp when he saw Rikimaru.

"Hi Rikimaru," Kiku said, smiling. She had on her usual full kimono regalia. He remembered how she had struggled with the heavy weight of the fabrics when she was younger, but now she could walk at a brisk pace with them.

"Princess, I am surprised to see you still awake," Rikimaru replied with a small bow. It was quickly getting late and the princess was usually in bed at this hour.

"I wanted to wish you luck on the mission! And...I am happy for you and Ayame," Kiku said with a sly smile.

"She…uh…kind of guessed," Ayame said sheepishly.

"Let's face it, both Yukihoko and I knew it was going to happen eventually," the princess replied, beaming up at the woman who she had affectionately named her older sister. Ayame rolled her eyes at her.

"Are you sure you weren't just eavesdropping again?" Ayame chided. Kiku made a face at her and bent down to scratch Semimaru behind the ears.

"Thank you, Princess," Rikimaru said quietly. Kiku was used to the silver haired ninja's quiet manner and knew better than to expect any more than this simple word of thanks.

"Anyway, are you almost ready?" Ayame asked him.

"Yes, I'm ready to go when you are."

Ayame turned to Kiku and gave her a hug. Rikimaru had always liked watching the kunoichi's softer side show when the princess was around. Kiku walked over to Rikimaru and gave him a quick hug as well and then turned to leave. When she got to the door, she turned and said, "Come back safe, okay?" She disappeared from the doorway. Semimaru lingered a little longer and jumped up on Rikimaru, placing his paws on the ninja's waist. Rikimaru gave him a pat on the head and pointed for Semimaru to follow after Kiku. The dog gave a sigh before following after the princess.

Ayame turned back to him with a small, awkward smile. There were things that they would both need to get used to now that they had come clean about their feelings for each other. The two ninja were clearly no experts at anything close to love, quite the opposite in fact. The closest that Ayame had come to feel close affection for someone other than Kiku was Tatsumaru. She shook the thought out of her mind sadly. Though the events had happened years before, it was still difficult to think about.

Rikimaru picked up his mask from where it lay on the ground and tied it around the lower half of his face. "How are you feeling?" he asked Ayame, acutely aware of how awkward the silence was becoming between them.

"I'm still a little sore but it's nothing terrible," she said, placing a hand tenderly on the small of her back. "I'll bring a bow and some arrows just in case."

Rikimaru smiled behind his mask, grateful that Ayame's good mood was allowing her to be rational. Usually, the injured one was relegated to bow and arrow duty, providing cover from a distance. Both Ayame and Rikimaru were skilled at all forms of weaponry, including of course, the bow and arrow. Ayame was the ninja who typically found herself injured more often. It was often difficult to get her to use the bow and arrow as she enjoyed stubbornly refusing Rikimaru's requests.

The two ninja quickly made last minute checks of their items and then slipped from Gohda territory.

* * *

Lord Kojuro's province was not too far from Gohda province, so Rikimaru and Ayame arrived at around the time the night's festivities were winding down. Lord Kojuro was famous for throwing lavish parties for any possible excuse, whether it was to look at the moon or at his garden of cherry blossoms on the estate. Guests were already whisked away back to their estates and the guards were just beginning the night shift.

Rikimaru crouched low below a wooden walkway, waiting for the guard above to turn around. Ayame hung back some distance away, perched precariously in a tree and surveying the area carefully, a watchful eye always wandering back to Rikimaru. She watched him dispatch guard after guard. She had only resorted to using her bow twice and was, to say the least, bored. After the last guard had dropped, Rikimaru signaled that the area was clear. Ayame gingerly slid down from her branch and crept over him.

"We've been all around the territory and there's no sign of the villagers," Rikimaru whispered.

"Yeah they're definitely not here," Ayame whispered back, frustrated. "I think it's time we ask Lord Kojuro ourselves."

* * *

Rikimaru and Ayame were inside Lord Kojuro's lavish palace. They made their way carefully through the halls dispatching the guards quickly and efficiently. Soon, they arrived at the ornately decorated hallway entrance to Lord Kojuro's personal quarters. Two guards lay dead, their blood staining the tatami mats.

Ayame slid open the door quietly and slipped in, Rikimaru following closely behind. The room was dimly lit and just as elaborately decorated as the rest of his palace. The soft sounds of deep breathing drifted towards them from the futon on the far end of the room. Ayame swiftly picked up a large and delicate looking porcelain geisha figure from a nearby shelf and walked over to the futon. Rikimaru hung back and watched curiously, sword drawn, as Ayame roused the sleeping lord with a swift kick to the futon.

Lord Kojuro woke with a start and yelped as he saw the two strangers in his room.

"What are you- Guards! Guards!" he croaked.

Ayame lifted a finger to her lips and waved the porcelain figure she was still holding in front of him. "Where are the villagers you took from Namida?"

"What? I don't, I don't know what you're talking about! Please, put that down, that's one of my favorite geisha sculptures-"

Ayame began tossing the sculpture from one hand to the other, pretending to drop it at one point yet catching it at the last minute.

Lord Kojuro gasped and lunged for Ayame, who easily slid out of his reach. Rikimaru continued to watch with amusement.

"You've got about thirty seconds to start talking or you'll get to watch me use this thing for target practice."

"I promise you I don't know anything about any villagers!"

"Then why did your ninja attack Namida?"

"What? I was asked to volunteer some of my ninja for a cause 2 weeks ago, honestly, I forgot about it! She didn't tell me what she was going to use them for! Whatever they did, I wasn't the one who ordered them to do it!"

"She?" Ayame suddenly remembered the mysterious woman who had appeared to her during her mission.

"Lady Shizuka! There, I've told you everything I know!"

"Thank you for your cooperation," Ayame said with a sweet smile. She turned away and walked towards Rikimaru and the door.

"Wait! My geisha!" Lord Kojuro screeched after her. Without so much as a glance back, Ayame tossed the figurine over her head and behind her. There was a loud thud as the lord leapt out of his futon and crashed to the ground in a crumpled heap, outstretched arms carefully cradling his prize.

"Guards! Guards!" he called out loudly, but the two mysterious ninja were long gone.

* * *

Three figures were walking up a hill, the moonlight casting shadows that loomed behind them like ghostly guards. Two were clearly female as evidenced by their petite forms and similar braided hairstyles. One female was dressed in a short dark purple kimono with black boots that reached up to just below her knees. Black cloth snaked up to the middle of her thigh, stopping just below the hem of her kimono, giving the illusion that her boots reached up that far. The shorter female was dressed similarly, except her kimono was dark blue. The other figure towered above them and was slender and walked with longer strides. Had there been anyone around to see them traveling together, it would be quite obvious that these three were ninja.

One of them, the shortest of the trio, stopped them abruptly and quickly looked up. Just as they were about to question her, they heard it—the unmistakable whistling sound of something flying through the air. The arrow struck a tree not too far in front of them.

"I still don't know how you do that, Mikomi," the male said with amazement, drawing his sword at once and looking around.

"That's the one skill little sis has always beaten me at," the other woman said, flipping aside her braid as she unsheathed her katana.

"I don't hear anymore coming," Mikomi said quietly. It was clear that she was the quietest of the group. She reached back for her two sai secured behind her waist. These were her weapons of choice, while her elder sister chose the more traditional sword. Although typically used as striking weapons whose purpose was to maim instead of kill, Mikomi had sharpened the tips of hers so that they were like large daggers. The prong-like side guards could be used to block sword strikes and even disarm attackers.

"I think we should check it out. What do you think, Mikazuki?" the man asked.

"Could be interesting. Tanosuke, do you mind leading? I led last time."

"It would be my pleasure," he said, and walked forward at a brisk pace, the two women following closely behind. It wasn't long before they heard the sounds of swords clashing and men fighting, billowing clouds of dark smoke seen over the tops of the trees. Someone's territory was under siege.

They made their way deftly through the trees, ducking under branches and looking warily at the increasing number of arrows embedded within tree trunks. Soon, they found a pile of bodies half hidden in the shrubbery, the sounds of fighting now very close. Mikomi carefully crept closer to one of the corpses and looked at the insignia on the back of the man's clothing.

"I recognize this symbol…the House of Gohda! We're in Gohda territory!" Mikomi whispered.

"Lord Gohda? Gohda Matsunoshin? _The _famous Lord whose own uncle turned against him? The one whose army and ninja defeated the Burning Dawn and brought down the Lord of Hell?" Tanosuke whispered back, grip tightening on his sword.

"Who else?" Mikazuki hissed back. "Hurry up, from the pile of bodies here, it looks like Lord Gohda's guards aren't doing so well."

Tanosuke was hesitant now. "Do you think this is a good idea? We don't even know who we're up against."

"Well, the best way to find out is to go and check it out, right? We're running low on supplies anyway." Mikazuki replied, bending over the corpses to check their pockets for money and other useful items. "Come on Tano, I think you've been traveling with us long enough to know that we don't shy away from a good fight. Isn't that right Mikomi?"

Mikomi nodded. "Lord Gohda is a good man. Everyone else is corrupt while he remains true to his people."

"This is the first time I've heard Mikomi say something about what she wants to do, so I guess the choice has been made." Tano sighed. He had a soft spot for the younger of the Nakamura sisters. Mikazuki was loud and brash and it had taken some time for him to get used to her since he had first encountered them fleeing their burning village of Hagakure. Mikomi was quiet and pensive and reminded him of his younger sister, before illness had swiftly led her to her grave. He missed her dearly.

The three of them hurried towards the sounds of battle, weapons drawn.

**Author's Note:**

**Oh boy…sorry about the uh, 4 year hiatus. Lots of things have happened. But I am back and I am here to give this story the ending that it deserves. If you're interested in what I've been up to, I've got links to my twitter and website on my profile. I hope my readers are still alive…**


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